Deceptions
by HelenBeacham
Summary: 'We pick up where we left off in the season two finale when Steve discovered that his supposedly-deceased mother is the elusive Shelburne.'
1. Chapter 1

In a remote area of Suruga Bay, Japan, Joe White led Steve to a secluded cabin nestled in the woods of a tiny island. Steve knocked on the door and turned around to realize that Joe had left him alone to face the unknown. The door creaked open and Steve's eyes instantly gleaned over with tears as he set sight on the figure standing before him. "Mom?" he choked out in the breath he'd been unconsciously holding since before the door opened. "No...no this can't be," he refute, shaking his head in utter denial. "This is not happening," he continued to negate, taking an unsteady step backward as the woman extended her hand in greeting. "Joe, get back here," Steve shouted, his body suddenly seized by uncontrollable shudders.

"Steven, honey...it's me," the soft feminine voice assured as she inched toward Steve.

"Stay...stay away from me," he warned, hands held up in defiance to prevent the woman from coming any closer. The jolt sent his mind spiralling out of control; his respiration coming in rapid but shallow breaths as he tried to process what was happening. In complete shock, he stared at the woman, whose meaningful smile and gleaming brown eyes tugged at a part of his heart he'd long buried.

He flinched slightly at the pair of rugged hands that came to rest on his shoulders. "Steve, son, she's your mother." Steve shook his head, his psyche adamantly refusing to grasp at such a possibility. He backed into Joe who gave him a friendly shove forward. "Go on."

Margaret McGarrett extended her arm to her distressed son. He gazed distrustfully at her hand, carefully studying the fine chiseled lines before reluctantly clasping it in his own. Once inside, Joe closed the door to leave mother and son alone to get reacquainted.

Steve recoiled at her touch against his shoulder and instinctively yanked his hand from her grip. An ominous stillness settled in the small room as he slowly cowered away from her, eyes downcast, refusing to meet her gaze. He needed some breathing space to recover his poise.

She stood before him, rather amused by his ghastly expression. "You look like you've just seen a ghost," she jested to lighten the tension.

"I..I have," Steve managed to heave out, his bottom lip quivering. He swallowed hard to contain his overwhelming emotions threatening to engulf him whole. He squished his eyes shut, hoping to awake from another of his countless nightmares. He gasped at the soft hand that came to rest on his cheek and impulsively slapped it away. "I'm sorry, I can't do this now, " he said apologetically, stepping aside to widen the trench between them.

"It's alright. I understand. It's a shock."

"I don't know what to believe here," came the frantic reply, a reaction that was simply alien to his character. Albeit Navy trained to remain calm and composed in any given situation, he now found himself drowning in a sea of confusion and betrayal. The very core of his being had been jarred to the ground. He struggled to regain a speck of self-command in the midst of the storm.

Aware of the whirlwind of emotions brewing inside her newly-found son, Margaret inched up to him with a heartwarming smile. He eyed her dubiously, taking a step backwards as she closed the gap between them. "Look into my eyes. What do they tell you?" she asked, raising her hands to cup his cheeks. "What do you see?"

"I don't know," he choked out, swallowing convulsively. "I just don't know." He gently took her hands and peeled them away from his face. "I'm sorry." He hung his head to avoid her stare and stormed out the cabin. "I'm sorry."

"What's the matter?" Joe asked when he saw Steve running out of the cabin.

"What's the matter?" Steve fumed, eyes shooting daggers. "Why didn't you prime me for this?"

"I didn't think I needed to."

"Well you thought wrong!" Incensed, Steve grabbed his head, fingers digging into his scalp, as he strove to remain calm.

"Son, I don't understand. I thought you'd be happy to know that your mother's alive. For the life of me I never anticipated this kind of reaction from you?"

"Oh you didn't?" Steve snarled. "What do you want me to do then?"

"Go back inside that cabin and talk to her. Get to know her. She wants so much to be close to you."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"BECAUSE..." Steve barked, then breathed in to take it down a notch, "because...oh God, this can't be..." He laced his fingers behind his neck, both entwined hands behaving such as a vice-like grip. He rocked back and forth with eyes squeezed shut to block out the memory of the past few minutes.

Joe edged up to Steve from behind and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Steve, son..."

Steve swiped the intrusive hands off him. "DON'T touch me!" he spewed out with veins in neck standing out in livid ridges. He clenched and unclenched his fists, inhaling deeply to suppress his anger as pangs of anguish gradually suffocated him. "I can't deal with this now. I just can't. I'm sorry." Without so much of a glance back at Joe, Steve tore deeper into the woods.

Seconds later, Margaret came out to the porch. "Joe? What's happening? Where's Steven?"

"He went for a walk. It was a bigger shock than I thought it would be." He fashioned a curl of the lip and turned to Margaret to assure her, "He'll be alright. Don't worry. He'll come around. He just needs time to process."

"Oh Joe," she cried. "I didn't want to scare him. I just..." she faltered as tears flooded her eyes.

Joe held the distraught woman in his arms and ran a soothing hand up and down her back. "It's okay, Maggie. Everything will be fine. I know him. He didn't mean to hurt you. It's the shock of seeing you after all these years that knocked him senseless."

"He's grown so much," she sobbed into Joe's shoulder. "I thought the pictures you've shown me of him were enough to prepare me for this meeting but..."

"Maggie, don't beat yourself up. It's my fault. I should have adopted a different approach to soften the blow. I grossly underestimated his reaction."

"Where is he?" she asked frantically, craning her neck out hoping to spot Steve nearby. "Should he be out in the woods by himself? It's so dark and the wild animals..."

"Don't worry about Steve. He can handle himself."

"I can't help it. He's my baby. I missed him so much," she whimpered.

"Let's go inside and wait for him to come back." Joe clasped Maggie tenderly by the waist and led her inside the cabin.

* * *

He angrily thwacked at the thick vegetation hindering his movements, as he aimlessly hurtled through the pitch-dark forest. Physically drained and mentally shattered, he stopped and bent over, hands on knees to catch his breath. In the throes of sheer emotional agony, he clawed at his head with both hands and let out a guttural scream that echoed through the night air. He then collapsed against a tree and slowly slid to the ground. He bathed in total darkness, save for the moonlit beams reflecting upon the waters of a small lake, and welcomed the solace it provided regardless of its looming threats.

He groped his cargo pants pocket and fumbled for his cell phone. He pulled it out and lit up the screen to check the messages. None were from Danny and wondered if he had taken the message he'd left him before he flew off to Japan with Joe. His thumb went to the speed dial, though he hesitated in pushing down Danny's number. Lord knows he needed his partner at this critical juncture to keep him from falling into the abyss, but was also aware that Danny was caught in his own battle to keep Grace on the island.

"Danno," he sniffed, wiping his runny nose dry on his sleeve. He stroked the lit panel of his mobile with his thumb, dithering whether to call his partner. He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply and pressed the number. He shakily put the phone to his ear and waited to hear the friendly voice, the beacon that lights his way and the anchor that keeps him grounded. "Come on, Danno. Where are you? I need you." His heart sank when the ring stopped and the voice mail picked up. He instantly hung up. He wrapped his arms tightly around his legs that he bent to his chest into a fetal position. He started rocking back and forth to curb the emotional turmoil raging inside of him.

* * *

Back in Hawaii, Danny was at Queen's Medical Center, keeping a vigil at Kono's bedside. It was by no short of a miracle that she was still alive after the near-fatal drowning. They would have lost her hadn't been for the quick intervention of two night fishermen who spotted her body floating near the dock.

He stood leaning against the bed rail, holding her hand as she lied in a deep coma, hooked to a respirator. The doctors were pessimistic as to her chances of survival, estimating the time of oxygen deprivation between five to ten minutes. Brain damage was a plausible scenario in the unlikely event that she should rouse from her coma.

A prostrate Chin entered the emotional-fraught room and stood by Danny. "How's Kono?"

"No change," he sighed dejectedly. "Any news on Malia?"

"She's still in surgery. It could be another hour before we hear anything. Doctor Chan, they say, is the best cardio-vascular surgeon on the island. I have to believe that," the bleak tone spoke volume.

Danny winced at his friend's shirt smeared with his wife's blood, "Chin, you should go home and change those clothes," he suggested amicably. "One look at you and they're liable to rush you to the ER."

Chin cracked a weary grin and said, "They've already tried that." He flumped down on a nearby armchair and buried his bleary eyes in his hands. "Danny, tell me this is a nightmare. Pinch me, stabbed me, shoot me...do anything to haul me out of this hell."

"Right back at you, bro. I'd love nothing more than to escape this sheer torture."

"Have you told Steve?"

"Not yet. I'm waiting to give him some hopeful news on Malia's prognosis." Chin glanced up at him with a blank expression. "I'm sure she's going to be fine. She's as tough as nail. Probably more stubborn than you are," Danny answered the unspoken question with a compassionate pat on Chin's shoulder.

"Fancy him flying off to Japan again."

"Says that Joe was going to take him to Shelburne," Danny said, returning his attention to Kono.

"Do you believe that?" Chin asked, head leaning heavily against the back of the chair with his eyelids closed.

Danny sighed dismally and squeezed Kono's hand. "I don't know what to believe anymore. It all went topsy-turvy in matter of hours. I feel disconnected, like I'm not really here, inside my body."

"Same here, brah. What's your gut feeling telling you?"

"I have this nagging hunch that he's setting himself up for a major disappointment. In fact I hope that's all it is and that he's not being lured into a trap."

"Joe wouldn't do that to Steve. He considers him like a son."

"Forgive me Chin but I don't trust the man. He gives me the creeps. Something about him isn't right and I can't put my finger on it."

"You wouldn't be considering him a threat to your friendship with Steve? They do spend a lot of time together whenever Joe comes to visit."

Danny stared disbelievingly at Chin. "Do you think I'm jealous of their relationship? That's ridiculous!"

"What is it then?"

Danny shook his head and threw his hand up in the air in resignation. "That's just it, I don't know."

* * *

A good thirty minutes elapsed before Doctor Chan walked into the room to find Chin dozing comfortably in his coaster vinyl armchair while Danny had taken the hard wooden chair, slumbering with his head on Kono's bed, holding her hand.

Dr. Chan padded up to Chin and shook his shoulder lightly. "Mister Kelly."

No sooner had his name been spoken that his eyes flew open. "Doctor?" He sprung to his feet and rubbed the fog out of his blurry eyes. "How's my wife?"

"She made it through surgery, but she's still critical. The bullet nicked her aorta and we had to do a bypass in order to repair the damage."

"But she's alright? I mean she's breathing on her own and all?"

"I'm afraid not. We've hooked her to a respirator to assist her with her breathing, which is very labored. Her heart is very weak and we're concerned about possible cardiac arrest."

"What's her prognosis?" Chin asked with bathed-breath and a lump in his throat.

"At the moment, it's sixty-forty. We will monitor her vitals and IV drips for the next 48 hours. Barring any major complication during that critical period, the chances of survival will then increase in her favor."

Chin's eyes dropped like lead at the news. How should he feel? 'Sad or happy?' he wondered. "Can I see her?"

"Wait until we prep her up in ICU then you can see her. About ten minutes?"

"Ok," Chin sniffled. "Thank you, Doctor Chan."

"You're welcomed. Feel free to call on me if you have any qualms or questions."

Chin nodded his gratitude and watched the blue surgical gown -clad cardiologist exit the room. He then turned to Danny who hadn't stirred during the conversation. "Hey Danny!" Chin coaxed. "Danny, wake up."

"What?" His eyes instinctively went to Kono. "What is it?"

"Malia's out of surgery."

Danny ran a hand over his face to wipe the remnants of sleep. "How is she?"

"She survived thus far. The bullet ripped her aorta." The word sent shivers down Danny's spine. "They managed to repair the damage but she's not out of the woods yet."

"Have you been to see her?"

"Not yet. They're settling her in the intensive care unit. I'll go in about ten minutes."

Danny clutched a frazzled Chin into his arms. "She's strong. She'll make it through this."

"I'd ask you to say a prayer but I remember that you're an atheist."

"Nevertheless, I've already sent a large order to your O Mighty upstairs. Even if I'm not one to believe perhaps he'll answer the call? " Danny chuckled. "He'll be busy for a while. I swear if Kono and Malia both get through this, I might convert." A restful silence settled between the two friends before Danny brought up Steve's name. "Well, guess it's time to brief our little wanderer on the latest developments. That is if he keeps his promise to pick up his phone." He groped his pant pockets for his cell phone. "Speaking of which, I must have left mine in my car."

"Once you make that call, go home and get some sleep. I'll stay here to keep a vigil on Kono and Malia."

"I did catch a few winks against Kono's bed, I'm good for another few hours," he stated while stretching his arms.

"You were out for twenty minutes, that's not enough."

"I'll think about it," he said through a yawn that he tried desperately to stifle. Danny and Chin embraced once more before the blond detective exited the room and out to the parking lot to find his car.

He sat in the driver seat and plopped his head against the headrest, closing his eyes and heaving a shuddering breath. He stole a few moments of quiescence to clear his mind and concentrate on the next task at hand: inform Steve about Delano and his killing spree. He reached for his cell phone inside the glove compartment and sped-dialed Steve's number.

* * *

In his retreated corner of the world, Steve hadn't budged from his spot. He couldn't have cared less that the cool night air had begun nipping at his skin. Still curled up in his fetal position, he was shivering from both the cold and the shock he'd received moments ago. He gasped at the ringtone of his cell phone lying beside him on the ground. He quickly picked it up. An elated smile lit up his face at the name on the panel.

"Danny?"

"Hey there my little rambler!" came the jovial greeting. "Nice to know you're picking up your phone." Then on a more solemn tone, asked, "Babe, can we talk?" Silence fell. "Steve, are you there? Is this a bad time?"

"D...Danny," Steve sniveled.

"Ohhhh what is it? What's wrong?" Danny straightened in his seat and pressed the phone closer to his ear, eyes taking on a hunted look at the sob in Steve's voice.

"Danno...I..." Steve choked up, his breaths hitching as he tried to speak.

"Steve, you're scaring me. Are you alright?" Again silence and then a small gasp. "Steve?"

"Danno, I found...I found out who Shelburne is."

"And?" there was an eerie breather as he heard Steve trying to even out his breathing. "Steve, come on. It can't be that bad?

"Shelb...," Steve gasped out. He was teetering on the edge, his body convulsing as he toiled to get a grasp on his emotions. "Shelburne...Shelburne is my mother."

Danny's face fell and blenched, his head sagging on the head rest. "What?"

"At least that's what Joe says."

"What about you?"

"I..I don't know what to think. I took one look at the woman and stormed out. I'm losing it, Danno. I just can't get a grip," his voice barely a whisper at the last part as he was coming apart at the seams.

"Alright, okay, just relax. Where are you exactly?" Flustered by the bombshell, Danny nervously reached for a pen and paper on the dashboard.

"I'm in Suruga Bay, just below Mount Fuji. It's a small cabin located on a remote island."

"Ok, how do I get there?"

"Danny you don't need to come. I just...just needed someone to talk to."

"Steve it's not like you to break down like that. I don't like it. You're all alone out there with...with this! I'm coming," Danny said resolutely.

"You have enough problems of your own to..."

"Steven, stop it!" he barked, cutting Steve in mid lament. "Just stop it! Give me directions and I'll find you."

"Fly into Tokyo, Narita airport. Call me back to give me your flight number and ETA and I'll meet you at the airport," he sniffled the last of his shed tears and wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"Tokyo, got it! I'll catch the next available flight and Steve...hang on tight until I get there. Don't go flying off again. If you have to do anything stupid, wait for me."

Steve grinned at that last comment. "Ok."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"You silly fool! I'll see you soon." Danny hung up and sat back in his seat in complete despair. His heart bled profusely for so many of his friends that he feared that his strength would fail him when dealing with his own custody suit. With a forlorn expression, he raised his eyes heavenwards and summoned some desperate divine intervention "I know I don't subscribe to any religion in particular but I do believe there's a force out there and if we ask for help...well...we could use some right about now."

* * *

"He's right. This isn't me. Get a grip, dammit!" Steve chided himself. Taking a deep breath he hauled himself up, brushed himself off and started down the pathway, now lit by the dawning of the sun over the horizon. He traced back his steps instinctively through the woods, taking stock of the broken twigs he recalled swatting out of his way during his mad dash.

He arrived at the cabin barely ten minutes later. Heedful not to step on anything that might snap underneath his feet and thus alarm the occupants of the lodge, he proceeded to gingerly make his way down to the small dock where a canoe was moored.

"Where do you think you're going?" roared the commanding voice from behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

"He's right. This is not me. Get a grip, dammit!" he chided himself. Taking a deep breath he hauled himself up, brushed himself off and started down the pathway, now lit by the dawning of the sun over the horizon. He traced back his steps instinctively through the woods, taking stock of the broken twigs he recalled swatting out of his way during his mad dash.

He arrived at the cabin barely ten minutes later. Heedful not to step on anything that might snap underneath his feet and thus alarm the occupants of the lodge, he proceeded to gingerly make his way down to the small dock where a canoe was moored.

"Where do you think you're going?" roared the commanding voice from behind him."You're cowarding out, is that it?" Steve turned around to face an authoritarian standing defiant with his arms crossed against his chest. "Why? After all this energy spent on finding this mysterious Shelburne? I brought you to him or rather her and you want to run away?" What's the matter Commander? Can't face the truth?" With gritted teeth, Steve shot Joe a murderous glare. "You want to hit me? Shoot me? All I did was deliver you to the one person you sought out with every sweat of your brow." A pause. "She's your mother, Steven."

The word sent Steve's senses reeling. He shut his eyes and clenched his jaw, hoping to drown out Joe's attempt at convincing him of a truth he wasn't ready to hear. "She's dead."

"Do you want to hear the whole story? Joe waited for Steve's reaction which never came.

"Straighten up, Commander! Get a hold to yourself!" Joe commanded on a chilling imperious tone.

Steve snapped his head toward Joe and with a scorching look, stammered out with rage. "DON'T you bark orders at me!"

"Ok, fine, go, leave" Joe said, flinging his arms in defeat. "See if I care. But don't come to me asking for any more favors, kiddo." Joe started for the cabin and noticed Margaret standing on the porch. She and Steve exchanged glances.

Joe clasped her arm gently and tugged at her to return inside. "Come on, Maggie. He doesn't want to have anything to do with us."

"No!" she wailed. "No, please Steven...don't go," she implored with every fiber of her being. She stepped forward waveringly, stopping in midway to gouge Steve's reaction to her plea. "Please understand, as harrowing as it is for you, it's equally heartrending for me." She inched forward, pleased that he wasn't budging from his spot. "I was kept hidden from you and your sister, not knowing if I'd ever see you or get to hold you in my arms again."

Steve's emotions started to simmer beneath the surface, his heart pounding out of his chest, his body shivering, melting the self-control he prided himself upon. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut to repress the flow of tears raring to gush out.

"I prayed every single day for that nightmare to end so that we could finally be reunited and be a family again." She stood behind Steve and gently laid her hands on his shoulders, eliciting a small twitch. She could feel him stiffening underneath her touch.

"Why?" Steve managed to breathe out, every cell of his being screaming at him to drop the armour and embrace the woman behind him. "Why after all these years, why didn't you tell me?"

"It was too risky, for you, your sister and your mother," Joe explained. "But now with Wo Fat out of the way, the truth could come out."

She tentatively turned him to face her and delicately placed her fingers underneath his chin to force him to meet her dewy gaze "Look at me." She waited for him to pry open his eyes. "Please give us a chance." She slipped her hand behind his neck and slowly pulled his head to rest on her shoulder.

He sucked in a whiff of her body scent and melted. "Moooommm," he wept, no longer able to contain the maelstrom brewing inside. She wrapped an arm around his waist to pull him closer to her but he still couldn't bring himself to hug her back. His body shivered wildly; his breath quickened and hitched; his fists clenched; his face contorted with pain but ultimately, the last fragment of ice thawed out and he became lax in her embrace, retuning the affection tenfold. "Mom, I've missed you soooooooooooo much."

* * *

After Joe had his turn at giving his account of the events from the car bomb leading up to this moment, mother and son spent the next three hours rekindling Steve's childhood through photos and personal experiences. Although Steve was lively and keyed up, occasionally embarrassed at recalling the memories of his greatest and mischievous achievements, Margaret could only stared fondly at him, her cherished memory of that precious time in her son's life wiped in the explosion that nearly ended her life.

It was early in the afternoon when Steve felt into a slumber on his cot in the small room set up for his visit. Joe returned to the living room from having checked on Steve to see if he had what he needed.

"Well he's finally asleep. He crashed in the middle of our discussion about Wo Fat. That tells you how worn out he was." he chuckled at the image of a tough, rugged Navy SEAL dozing off like a helpless child.

"Oh Joe," she cried, eyes glistening with tears.

"Hey, hey," Joe cuddled Margaret in the crook of his arm and rubbed a soothing hand up and down her arm. "It's okay. Everything will be fine now."

"Not it's not, Joe. It's not. Did you see his eyes when I couldn't remember the things we did when he was a child?"

"Margaret, he understands that you lost your memory of his childhood in that accident."

"I want so much to remember, Joe. Not only for him, but for me. I lost that part of my life, his life. How can I make it up to him?"

"By creating new memories," he said emboldenly, holding her tight.

* * *

Steve rose two hours later. He picked up his cell phone and saw Danny's message. He jogged down the flight number and his ETA that he left in his message. He called, hoping to hear Danny's voice but instead, landed in his voice mail. He in turn left the message confirming that he would be at that airport upon his arrival. He then slipped on his boots, grabbed his shirt and knapsack, then headed to the living room to find Joe and his mom.

"Listen, I have to go for a while," he informed the twosome he found sitting on the sofa.

"Where are you going?" Joe asked.

"To the airport to meet Danny. He's flying into Tokyo this evening." Puzzled Joe stared at Steve inquisitively. "I called him last night. I needed to talk to him after what happened and he offered to come." He turned to Margaret and enthused, "Mom, I can't wait for you to meet him. He's a great guy. the best friend I've ever had."

"Joe mentioned him to me. I hear he's very protective of you."

Steve chuckled at the accuracy of the statement. "Yeah, perhaps a bit too much at times but I find it reassuring to know that he has my back and Lord knows I give him reasons not to." He smiled fondly at the thought.

"Want me to go with you? The grounds can be treacherous."

"Thanks, but I can manage. I'm used to tread on rougher terrains than these." Joe nodded. "It'll be too late to return tonight so I'll get us both rooms at a hotel about an hour away from the airport and head back here early tomorrow morning."

Margaret stood and stepped up to her son. "Steve, take care of yourself and come back soon."

"I will. Don't worry," he assured and pulled her into a tight clench. As they hugged, Steve stole a whiff of her body fragrance and smiled reminiscently. "I do remember that scent."

"And I yours."

He pulled back and gazed deeply into her eyes. "You do?"

She nodded. "Somehow this is one of the few memories still intact." She beamed and leaned in to place a peck on the cheek. "Hurry back."

"I will."

Joe escorted him to the dock where he took place in the canoe. "When you get to the other bank, find our guide Aukai and ask him to escort you to the mainland. He knows his ways around these parts like the back of his hand."

"Thanks Joe. Take care of mom while I'm away."

"Sure will, son." He watched Steve paddled away and once out of ear shot, he retreated away from the cabin and dialed a number. "Yeah, it's me. Listen, slight change of plans. McGarrett's supposedly on his way to the Narita airport to pick up his partner, Danny Williams. They'll both stay at a hotel about an hour away and be back here tomorrow morning. Follow him. Make sure he does return to the cabin.(...) In that case, you know what to do." He stuck out his chin, exhaled a long drawn-out sigh and returned inside.

* * *

Steve restlessly paced the floor as he waited for Danny's plane to land. He was glancing up at the clock for the twentieth times when he heard the flight number being announced over the intercom. He picked up the pace to the gate and waited for the passengers to exit. He craned his neck, looking over shoulders and heads to catch a glimpse at Danny. He broke into a wide grin when the short blond man finally popped into view.

"Danny, over here!" Steve hailed, waving to his friend. No sooner had Danny exited the gate that Steve grabbed him into a friendly embrace, patting him on the back. "It's good to see you, bro." He then pulled back and took his bag. "Here, let me take that for you."

They started walking toward the exit doors.

"How was the flight?"

"A little bumpy but we made it in one piece."

"Well you look great."

"And I must say you're sounding a lot better than on the phone," Danny said, noticing Steve's cheery disposition. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you all about it in the car. I booked us a suite at the Sheraton about an hour away. It's too late now to head back to the cabin, which is about four hours away. We'll get a move on early tomorrow morning, catch the ferry and then hire a guide to take us the rest of the way. Finally we'll go on a canoe ride. You'll love it," Steve said jauntily, knowing this would irk Danny.

"What? No metros, trains or buses?" Danny chaffed.

"There are but not where we're going. That's the charm of the area."

"Remote location? No kidding!" Danny took one look at Steve's compact rental car and laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"That's your car?" he derided, pointing at the modest vehicle.

"It's a rental. What's wrong with it?"

"That's a jalopy compared to the camaro, MY camaro back on the island. Sure you can drive that, babe? I mean how fast can you go in that, twenty miles per hour?" he continued to rib.

"Danny, I just need reliable wheels, not a race car. There are no bad guys to chase around here."

"I wouldn't bet on that. With your magnet for trouble I'm pretty sure you can attract some."

"Shut up and get in."

Danny snickered, thinking of how he missed this bantering in the last few days. It was a welcomed dose of delight in the otherwise sea of gloom he'd been swimming in lately.

They sat in silence, heads resting against the headrest; not a word was spoken as they both soaked up the atmosphere. Moments later, Danny broke the stillness, "So? How are you holding up?"

"Still treading on shady grounds but the earthquake's over."

Danny turned his head toward Steve and offered a compassionate smile. "Your mother, heh?"

Steve remained stoically quiet, staring dead ahead. "Yeah," he finally heaved out with a heavy blink before turning to Danny. "She is Shelburne."

"Wow," was all that Danny could muster.

"Yep!" Steve agreed.

"I panicked when I heard you on the phone. You were worse off than the last time you were an emotional wreck, which was when you found out Governor Jaimeson was involved in shady deals and had your father's tool box in her possession, and we all know the outcome to that?

"Joe explained why he had to keep my mom in hiding all these years. Dad knew about her surviving the explosion, but he couldn't tell Mary and me." Steve confided, swallowing an emotional lump caught in his throat, "I'm supposed to understand it was for our safety, but I still feel betrayed. How do you forgive someone for keeping your mother out of your life?"

"Just as well we have a long drive, 'cause I bet you have a lot to tell me and I have things to tell you too."

"Ok." Steve frowned at Danny's last statement and started the ignition. Barely had the car pulled onto the road out of the terminal that Danny's phone rang.

"It's Chin," he informed Steve before answering the call. "Chin? Yeah I just landed. I'm with Steve, we're driving to a hotel about an hour away before we head to the cabin. Bro, what's happening? How's Malia?"

Steve's head swivelled at the mention of Malia. He eavesdropped on the conversation with brows furrowed in concern.

"She arrested a few minutes ago, but the doctors were able to bring her back. She's on a respirator." Chin informed dejectedly.

Danny dropped his head to his chest and covered his eyes in total despair. "Oh no!"

"Danny, what is it? What's wrong?" Steve's eyes darted maniacally from the road and back to Danny and he waited for his partner's to find his voice in the wake of the obvious bombshell. "Danny?"

Danny held up a finger at Steve and continued with Chin. "What about Kono?" Steve gaped pop-eyed at the mention of Kono's name. He watched Danny with numbed horror, clinging onto his every word.

"There's no change in her condition. The doctors say that the longer she remains in a coma, the least likely she is to awake. Even if she does..." he faltered at the thought of Kono falling into a vegetative state.

"Yeah I know. Brain damage. Chin look, I should be back soon. Ring me night or day if there's any change in either's conditions or if you just need to talk. You hear me, bro? Night or day."

"Thank you Danny. Have you told Steve yet?

Danny glanced at Steve. "I'm about to. I have aneurysm face staring back at me."

In spite of his anguish, Chin managed a laugh at the mental vision of Steve's crunched up face. "Well you take care of our old scout there. And bring him back safe and sound."

"I'll do my best."

With both hands gripping the steering wheel, Steve glowered at Danny who struggled to recover his composure. "Well? Are you going to tell me?" Steve asked bluntly, his tone bordering on rudeness.

"It's a rather long and painful story, one better told when you're not driving."

Steve quickly veered off to the left and parked alongside the curb. He released the wheel and laid back. "I'm not."

Danny leaned back and sighed deeply. "Last night I called you to let you know about the tragedy that took place after you left. Then I heard your strangled cry at your finding out who Shelburne was and I figured this was definitely not the right time to break the news to you."

"What tragedy?" Steve's probed, his heart picking up a beat. "Malia and Kono hurt?" Danny remained silent. "Danny please! Talk to me!"

Danny ran a hand over his face, resting it over his mouth. He inhaled deeply to garner the strength to relive the nightmare in his description to Steve. "After you left with Joe, Chin discovered that the sweetheart cop killer that you shot dead had an accomplice and guess what? Both were receiving orders from Frank Delano."

Steve banged a fist against the wheel and hissed, "I knew it!"

"Well that boyfriend of hers kidnapped Malia and Kono to coerce Chin to bail Delano out of jail, which he did. He wanted Delano to tell him where he was keeping the two women. When Chin got home, he found Malia bleeding to death on the floor. At about the same time, Frank ordered Kono to be drowned. She would have died hadn't been for the swift intervention of two night fishermen who spotted her body floating next to their boat."

Steve's heart leapt to his throat, his stomach churning at the macabre depiction.

"Chin just called to inform me that Malia went into cardiac arrest," Steve's eyes bulged out at the news but Danny was quick to hold him at bay with a placating hand on his shoulder, "but they got her back. Meanwhile Kono is in a coma. Doctors fear brain damage when and if she wakes up." Danny turned to Steve who sat shellshock.

"Why didn't you call me the minute this happened?" Steve snarled with teeth set in suppressed anger.

"It all happened so fast, it hit us like a bolt of lightning," Danny defended heatedly, taken aback by Steve's outburst. "I wanted to have some bit of good news before calling you so that you'd be able to remain here and take care of business and not rush back to Hawaii where you couldn't do anything but sit and wait. Besides I just told you I was calling you with news when you told me about Shelburne."

"You should have cut in."

"Yeah I could have but in your state of mind, I dreaded to you'd fly off the handle and do something stupid and then...," Danny's voice trailed off at the thought of a tragic ending.

"I can take care of myself," Steve argued, though not convincingly.

"Sure didn't sound like it on the phone," Danny rebuked.

"And you still came," Steve atoned. "From so far away, leaving Chin in the hospital with Kono and Malia. You should have stayed there."

"I'm needed here." He turned to Steve. "Aren't I?"

Steve's face wrinkled in pain, his heart aching for his friends back home. He felt somewhat ashamed that Danny would put his needs above others or even his. His unyielding solicitude touched him. He didn't deserve such devoted guardian angel and yet, Danny stuck by him through thick and thin, never wavering. He sank his head back and gasped in a breath. "What about the custody suit?"

"I asked the lawyer to launch the procedure. I hate to do this to Rachel but it's the only way to keep shared custody of Grace and have her remain on the island."

"Anything I can do to help?"

Danny pursed his lips. "Thanks, babe. I might need you as a character witness."

"You just say when and I'll be there." Danny smiled his thanks. Both laid their heads against the head rest and beckoned the silence. "Danno, what is happening?"

"Life has dealt us a bad hand, but eventually the game will turn in our favour." Danny gave Steve's arm a friendly squeeze. "How about we get going? It's a long drive and it's your turn to tell me all about your kick-in-the-teeth."

On the hour-long drive, Steve related his astonishing tale of finding his mother alive after nearly twenty years. The conversation spilled into the hotel room and lingered until late that night before they finally called it a day.

* * *

Bright and early the next morning, they proceeded to get to the remote location.

Just as they docked the canoe, Joe and Margaret stepped out of the cabin to meet them. Steve was first to alight to fall into his mother's arms.

"Steven," she cried into his shoulder. "I'm so relieved you're back."

He disengaged the embrace to gaze into her tender eyes. "I told you I would and I brought my friend along to meet you." He turned to Danny. "This is my partner, the man who keeps me grounded, Danny Williams."

Margaret cast Danny an engaging beam before pulling him into a warm embrace. Stunned by this sudden surge of affection, Danny searched Steve's eyes for permission to return the hug. Steve smiled his consent.

"Steve spoke so highly of you. I feel like I know you already."

Danny flashed a wicked grin at Steve. "He did? All good, I hope?" Danny delighted in Steve's embarrassment, seeing him blush and pursing his lips.

"Of course. Steve thinks very highly of you."

In a sidelong glance, Danny caught Joe's stare, to which he responded with a puzzled frown, the exchange going unnoticed by mother and son.

"Come, let's all go inside," Margaret beckoned, slipping one arm in Danny's and draping the other over Steve's.


	3. Chapter 3

_In a sidelong glance, Danny caught Joe's stare, to which he responded with a puzzled frown, the exchange going unnoticed by mother and son._

_"Come, let's all go inside," Margaret beckoned, slipping one arm in Danny's and draping the other over Steve's._

* * *

Danny was ill-at-ease and appeared understandably out of place in this family reunion. He felt a tad intrusive in what he considered a private moment between mother and son, but Steve was quick to put his qualms to rest when he confided in his mother that Danny was the brother he never had.

Danny sat mostly in retreat to observe the interaction between Steve and Margaret. He kept an objective view of the situation, scrutinizing ever glance, every smile, every tone and expression that passed through the pair. Time and again he feared for his friend's life whenever he was off on his quest to avenge his father's murder. His heart ache for Steve each time his investigations would hit a snag or a dead end, aware of the burning arrow of failure slicing through his friend's pride.

That serene look on Steve's face told Danny that he was finally at peace. It felt good to see him basking in genuine happiness. It was a sight to behold that sent his heart aflutter. So why was his instincts nagging at him to probe deeper beneath the seemingly bliss that he was witnessing?

While Steve and Margaret were sharing tips on how to cook a particular dish for supper, Joe tugged at Danny's arm and took him aside. "Let's step outside to give them their private moment."

Danny agreed, though with some reservations, and followed Joe out onto the porch. He breathed in a lungful of air, somewhat refreshing though a bit too muggy for his taste. "It's a great spot you've got here. Aside from the lack of electricity and indoor plumbing, the retreat is peaceful and quiet, in the middle of nowhere. Wo Fat wouldn't think of looking for Shelburne here."

"That's why I picked it. And it's not a permanent dwelling." Joe nodded back to the cabin. "They look good together, don't they?"

"Yeah, they do," Danny replied dryly and unconvincingly.

"Let's walk a bit, shall we?" Joe invited to which Danny nodded and tagged along, careful to stay one step behind to keep watch on any sudden moves. They stopped near the quay and contemplated in silence the moon reflecting upon the water.

"Something on your mind, Danny?" Joe broached the subject he knew had been festering on the detective's mind.

Danny crossed his arms against his chest and briefly pondered his next move before acting upon it. "Yeah, there is. What was that sullen look you threw at me when I arrived with Steve earlier today?"

"What look? What are you talking about?"

"Come on Joe, It was hard to miss. Nearly bore a hole through me." Danny scorned, giving Joe a furtive glance to get a reading on his demeanour. "My being here bothers you, doesn't it?"

Joe scoffed, "Come on, Danny. You're Steve's best friend. He wanted you here."

Danny hung his head and stared down at the ground. "I offered to come. He didn't ask. He was too damn distraught."

"It was the shock of seeing his mother alive after all these years. For the life of me I never anticipated this kind of reaction from him. But he's better now." The ominous silence prompted Joe to turn to Danny with a dubious stare. "You don't like me much, do you son?"

Danny burst into a guffaw. "Now wherever did you unearth that notion?" he said sarcastically.

"Your tone. I'm beginning to see what McGarrett meant by that. Do you see me as some sort of a threat? Dread I might take Steve away from you?"

Joe knew that he had hit a nerve when Danny became visibly restless with hands flying all over the place. "Why is everybody saying that, do I have a jaundiced eye or something? I'm not possessive of him! If he chooses to sever our friendship tomorrow, that's it! I'm gone."

"No risk of that happening anytime soon. He loves you like a brother."

"Yeah, well, things can change," Danny muttered grimly, hoping his words wouldn't prove true. Crossing his arms back against his chest in a rebellious stance, his head motioned to the cabin. "Is she really Margaret McGarrett?"

Joe frowned suspiciously. "Are you implying she's not?"

"Listen…" Danny braced himself to deliver a solid warning with hands ready to punctuate his every word. "He's been through the emotional ringer with this Shelburne affair. I've seen him run himself to the ground, literary risking his life to locate that elusive character. You cannot fathom the grief that man had penned up inside and now with his mot," Danny faltered at the word, sucking in a deep breath to continue, "mother back in his life...after nearly twenty years of believing she was dead…please tell me this is not a hoax! Otherwise it will destroy him."

"Your concern for Steve is admirable."

"I'm just looking out for him. Joe I mean it," Danny cautioned with eyes narrowed in contempt, "don't hurt him or I'm coming after you and that's a promise."

"Danny, I assure you, she is Margaret McGarrett. She is Steve's mother."

"Guess that can be proven with blood work and DNA tests."

"You can conduct any analysis you want. I say she's the real deal."

"Ah there it is!" Danny gloated. "The key word: I. I'm even starting to harbour serious doubts about her being Shelburne."

Joe shook his head disbelievingly at Danny's mulishness. "My you have a suspicious nature."

"Yeah, it's scary to think that McGarrett is starting to rub off on me. So?"

At that decisive moment, Steve walked out of the cabin to locate the pair, thus bailing Joe out of having to elaborate on the question raised. "Joe, Danny, where are…ah there you are! Supper's ready guys."

"Good, I'm famished," Danny enthused, rubbing his hands together, hoping to throw Steve off the track about the caustic exchange. "Let me guess? Pineapple and ham pizza?" he jested.

"No, it's fish. My mom's recipe."

"Sounds good."

"Hey, is everything alright?" Steve asked with a raised eyebrow, a question not directed at anyone in particular.

"Everything's fine, son." Joe said reassuringly, wrapping a fatherly arm around Steve's shoulders as they walked inside the modest abode. "Your pal and I were just getting better acquainted, basically shooting the breeze."

* * *

Later that night, Steve and Danny retired into a small room with barely space enough to fit the two cots set up for the two guests.

"I hope you don't mind sharing a room? It's quite confined but this cabin's very small," Steve asked Danny as he removed his boots on the edge of his cot.

"No sweat," Danny assured, creeping into his own cot next to Steve's. "It'll be like summer camp. They didn't have air conditioning back then either."

Steve chuckled and removed his cargo pants and shirt. "Most of everything in this shack runs on battery power. Fortunately the night air is not too damp and relatively comfortable for sleeping, but then again I'm used to sweltering weather." Now in boxers and tee, he slipped under the thin blanket and wiggled into a comfortable position. "If you want I can bring in a fan."

"No, no, I'm alright. Oh, one thing I ask of you, babe. Please don't snore."

"I don't snore!" Steve retorted, acting offended.

"Good. Cause I'd hate to smack you in the middle of the night."

"Try it and I'll kick you where it hurts. SEAL instincts, you know."

Steve adjusted his blanket, pulling it to rest on his chest. He laid with his fingers laced across his belly with eyes dwelling blankly on the ceiling. "Hey Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"Just wanted to say thank you for being here."

"Don't mention it."

"I'm sorry for jumping down your throat earlier about leaving Hawaii with Kono and Malia in the hospital. I was bent out of shape that you would…"

"Hey!" Danny interjected. "Don't go there, babe. To be honest, I did hesitate to board that flight, but Chin's the one who pushed me to come. He was as worried about you as I was. Besides you heard him on the phone? The doctors are now optimistic that our ladies will pull through. Tough gals. Anyhow we're going back tomorrow."

"Yeah."

Silence and two heavy signs later that spoke volume about his partner's turmoil, Danny egged on, "Let it out, partner. Just let it out."

Steve closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts. "When I first saw her, it caught me off guard and I completely lost it. It's as though the past 18 years of my life were yanked out of existence in a blink of an eye. I regressed to this sixteen-year-old scared out of his wits when he heard his mom had died," he said wistfully with a twinge in his heart. "I ran, screamed and cried like a helpless kid as the raw memories all came rushing back with a vengeance. I wanted to believe it was her, but the shock knocked me out. I couldn't handle it and Lord knows I'm trained to face just about any situation thrown at me." Danny leaned on his left side and stared at Steve intently as he related his meeting with his mother with heavy emotions until now Danny had never witnessed. "The maelstrom of emotions that brew inside of me at that moment was indescribable. It threw me off kilter."

"I know how hard this must have been for you."

"You have no idea. Finally got some bearing back and decided to leave when Joe stopped me. Then she pleaded with me to stay. Danny, I didn't know what to do. She pulled me into her arms and I took one whiff of her scent and …and I broke down. I knew then beyond any doubt that she was my mother." Steve turned on his right side to face Danny as he continued, "The worse part for me is that her memory of the past was wiped out in that explosion. She can't recall most of my childhood, aside from what Joe has told her through pictures and memorabilia."

"Yeah, she's a blank slate for anyone intent on dumping new information into her memory bank," Danny said bluntly.

"I thought about that but there are some bits of memories still lingering, like when I was about nine or ten, I fell off my bike and scraped my knee real bad. I ran home crying and when I got into the house, I freaked out because I couldn't find my mom. She was always there and now she was nowhere to be found. I bawled and shouted her name until she came rushing down from the attic. She remembered that moment. This is definitely not something that Joe could have been privy to." Steve paused and mused. "And when I look into her eyes…it's all there…what I remember about her. The mirror of the soul doesn't lie."

"Eyes can sometimes be made to deceive," Danny demurred.

Steve frowned. "What are you saying? That she's faking it?"

"Not necessarily but think about it for a second here, why would she be the infamous Shelburne? It doesn't make a whole lot sense. I mean why the need to keep her in hiding? From what you told me, she was never a threat to Wo Fat and the Yakuza. The bomb in the car was meant for your father, not your mom? It was just wrong place, wrong time. If she's an innocent victim in all of this…?"

"Joe said that the Yakuza could have used her against dad, believing she might have held crucial information on his investigation and they would have tortured her like they did me in North Korea."

"Well put that way it does make sense. But why give her that codename? If you want to protect someone you don't make him the primary target. Wo Fat wants to kill Shelburne. Unless your mom was an operative for the FBI, CIA or any other organization hell-bent on dismantling the network?" He glanced at Steve to gauge his reaction. He could tell the SEAL was mentally debating his assumption. "Have you ever overheard your parents discussing their work in the household?"

"Mom was a housewife. Be as it may, it's hard to believe she could have moonlighted as an undercover agent. I would have known eventually."

"I think she's just a decoy and that the real Shelburne has yet to come out"

An dark notion sprung into Steve's mind. He turned to Danny with an inquisitive stare. "Joe? Eyes narrowed in dread. "You think Joe could be Shelburne?"

"You said it, not me."

"You don't like him very much, do you?" Steve expressed, glancing at him, seemingly picking up on Danny's uneasiness.

Danny shifted uncomfortably and conceded, "Honestly? I don't trust the man, never have. That was just an act for your benefit."

"Joe never gave me reasons to doubt his integrity. He even led you into North Korea to pry me out of Wo Fat's claws."

"I didn't say the man doesn't have redeeming qualities," Danny defended. "Something about his eyes when he looks at me. He sees me as a threat of some sort."

"That's ridiculous," Steve derided.

"Yeah perhaps I'm overreating. I tend to suspect everyone that comes in close contact with you. But let's face it, the characters you've associated with recently have given me reasons to erect that fence around you. I apologize in advance if I'm wrong."

"I trust your instincts, Danno. They got us out of jams before. I'm on the inside caught in this emotional mayhem and it's clouding my judgment. You on the other hand have a clear view of what's going on."

"Did I hear you right? You trust my instincts?"

"Great minds think alike," Steve said with a mischievous grin.

"That's scary," Danny shuddered.

"Tomorrow we'll get her back to Hawaii where we can deal with it on our own turf. I want Chin to see her and Max to test her for DNA. They'll either confirm or dispute her identity." Steve stated resolutely, turning to settle into a prone position.

"Didn't you say you were positive she was your mother?"

"Just want to cast any shred of doubt aside."

"Then we should get some shut eyes. It's been a long trying day for us all."

"Yeah. Say Danno?" Steve raised and waited for Danny to look at him. "Sorry I dragged you into this."

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"That's the trouble with you."

"Yeah, trouble called love and friendship, babe. Now go to sleep."

"Yes, mother."

* * *

During the night, Joe snuck into the room and watched the two men sleeping. Danny was facing the wall, snoring like a banshee.

Sometimes later, Steve woke to the nerve-grating whirr of Danny's snoring. "I don't believe this! And he warns ME not to snore!" Steve turned to Danny. "Hey Danny!" louder, "Danny, man you're going to wake up the whole island."

Danny choked and snorted but resumed his snoring. Steve was exasperated. He pressed his pillow against his ears and when that failed to drown out the sound, he threw the pillow at Danny who just shifted a bit without waking, though silence ensued.

Satisfied, Steve settled into a comfortable position. Sleep was about to claim him when he heard a noise coming from the other room. His inner alarm kicking into gear, he flung the blanket aside and got up to investigate.

He yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he clumped over to the living room. Noting that everything was in order, he walked to the adjacent kitchenette to grab a bottle of water from the compact refrigerator.

Outside, Joe was standing on the dock, cell phone in hand. With much reluctance, he dialed.

"Chan, yeah it's me, Joe."

"I hope you have some good news for me?"

"Not yet. I'm still working on it."

"Time is running out, Joe," warned the man on the other end.

"Time? What time? Wo Fat's behind bars. He can't get to you."

"Wrong. The bastard's pulling the reins from inside. We were supposed to get a shipment today but Wo Fat managed to intercept it and had my men killed. We need to take him out for good!" he stressed.

"Not that simple. We need McGarrett to pull that off. Right now he's taken the bait and I just need to reel him in slowly. But I hit a snag. His partner Danny Williams is here. He's one nosy body and I doubt he trusts me."

"We can handle that nuisance for you."

"DON'T you dare!" Joe snarled. "He and McGarrett are joined at the hip. You kill one, you wound the other. Besides I believe I can work this situation to my advantage. If push comes to shove and McGarrett's not in the game I can use Williams instead, but until then you lay low. I'll make sure you get your shipment this week."

Steve was heading back to his room when a muffled voice wafting from outside the cabin caught his attention. He cast a squinting eye out the window and discerned a black silhouette talking on a cell phone, whose identity he couldn't make out. He padded up to the door and opened it at a crack to eavesdrop on this shady character's conversation. The voice was unmistakably Joe's.

"Now I mean it, don't do anything stupid or you'll ruin it for us." Joe hung up and turned to head back inside the cabin.

Steve hurried back to his room, gently pushed the door close and slid under the blanket.

The ajar front door of the cabin prompted a wary Joe to go check on the two guests. As he cracked open the door to the guest room, he was assaulted by the sound of a bear grunting. Danny was snoring Steve's ears off who appeared to be out like a light. Steve eased down his breathing to avoid tipping Joe off as to his little night escapade and was poised ready to lunge at him if he dared come close to either one of them. Joe just chuckled at the scene and closed the door on his way out, much to Steve's relief.

Steve pried one eye open to check if the unwanted visitor was gone before opening the other, wondering what Joe was up to. Then he turned to Danny and hurled another pillow at him to shut his roaring engine.


	4. Chapter 4

Early the next morning while Joe was out catching breakfast, Steve and Danny busied themselves throwing what little effects they'd brought with them into their backpacks.

"Well that's that! I'm done," Danny broadcast, zipping his bag shut. "I'll meet you outside."

"Ok. Could you check on my mom to see if there's anything she needs for our trip back?" Steve asked while stuffing the last of his belongings in his bag.

"Sure thing. Say, do want me to be here when you tell Joe?"

"Thanks Danno, but I'll be ok."

"Yeah…well…instincts you know?"

Steve fashioned a lopsided grin. "Yeah, I know. Oh by the way, bro. I have a newsflash for you. You snore."

"Trying to throw that one back at me, heh?" Danny sniggered. "Not working."

"If you don't believe me, ask Joe."

Danny's brows creased "Joe?"

"Yeah. Saw him sneaking into our room last night."

"What was he doing?"

"I think he was just checking to see if we were asleep. Then he went outside to make a call. I caught him as he was hanging up."

Out of the corner of his eye, Danny caught Joe entering the cabin with his fishing pole that he leaned against the wall. "You're on," he told Steve, grabbing his bag and patting his friend's arm for good luck.

"Joe?" Danny exclaimed, feigning surprise. "Caught anything good?"

"Fish aren't biting today."

"Tough luck," Danny said with a caustic cynicism that wasn't lost on the commander.

Though baffled as to the backpack Danny was carrying, he nevertheless waited for him to exit the cabin before going to see Steve in his room, where he found him gazing fondly at a family picture of his parents, his sister and he at the tender age of 9.

"It's your mother's favorite picture," Joe stated.

"It's one of mine too. That's why I'm bringing it with me to make sure it doesn't get lost," Steve said as he placed the framed picture into his bag.

"You're leaving?" Joe asked, baffled.

"Yeah. I was going to tell you earlier but you'd gone fishing. It's time to head back to the islands. Just isn't right for us to stay here when our two friends are in the hospital."

"But didn't Chin say that they were both recovering well?"

"Yeah, but still. It's time for us to go," Steve said rather bluntly, zipping his bag close.

"Your mother's going to miss you."

"Why should she? She's coming with us," Steve blurted out matter-of-factly, bracing himself for Joe's response, which came in the form of a deep puzzled frown. "I mean isn't it the reason you brought me here? To show me mom was alive and with Wo Fat in jail, the threat on her life is gone."

"I brought you here because of your damn obsession to find Shelburne. I wanted you to stop torturing yourself, to avoid putting your life in jeopardy not to mention your friends'"

"Guess I should thank you for that. Granted I got more than I bargained for but now that I know the truth, mom can come live with me in Hawaii."

"Steven, son, you can't be that naïve."

"Then enlighten me, Joe," Steve said composedly, toiling to contain his ire. "Why can't she come back with me?"

"Don't you realize that Wo Fat has people on the outside? The bastard can be a bigger threat on the inside than as a loose cannon on the outside. She's not safe." Joe edged up to Steve and spoke austerely. "You had your chance to do the world a favor by exterminating that vermin once and for all but no…instead you risked your own life to bring him to justice," spoken with a prickling scorn that raised Steve's hackles, "to which he'll slip through its fingers just as easily as shutting the cell door. There is no court that can convict him because there isn't enough tangible proof of his involvement with the Yakuza. The man cleverly covers his tracks. He'll be set free and we'll all be back to square one."

Steve swiveled around and faced Joe square in the eyes. "What do you want me to do?" he snapped.

"Take him out of jail and let me finish him off."

The request stunned Steve who stood dumbfounded, "Can't be done."

"You're Five-0. I'm sure you have the clout."

"Even if I did, I wouldn't use it .Wo Fat stays right where he is, and I'll make darn sure he is not allowed to have any contact with the outside world."

"Don't underestimate his connections."

"Tell me the truth, Joe." Steve stared the man in the white of the eyes, unblinking and challenged, "Is she really Shelburne?" The imposing figure stood undeterred by the question but offered no answer, prompting Steve to push further, "No…you are…aren't you?" he alluded tauntingly. "I'm done asking why," he dismissed with a shrug with a wave of the hand as he looped the band of his bag around his shoulder. "I'm taking her back to Hawaii. I'll deal with you later."

Joe stood in Steve's way. "Wait!"

Steve shot him a murderous scowl. "Stay out of my way Joe, I mean it! I'll fight you if I have to."

"You want to hear the whole story?"

"The truth?"

"Yeah, the truth," Joe relented. "But you will not like it."

Steve scoffed "What else is new?"

Joe motioned for Steve to drop his bag. Reluctantly he did but kept a hardened stare on the man before him. Joe ran a hand across his face and stole a few seconds to gather his thoughts. "I swore your mother I'd go to the grave with this secret. Fortunately she doesn't recall any of it."

"Fortunately for her or for you?" Steve needled.

"Steve you have to believe me, I've always tried to protect John's family. Lord knows I never wanted any harm to come to you, Mary or your mother," Joe sought Steve's clemency prior to opening Pandora's box. "but your stubbornness in your search for Shelburne and your parents' murderers...you just couldn't let it go!"

"Would you have had you been in my place?" Steve hit back.

"Wo Fat once told you that if you dig too deep, you may not like what you find."

"Joe, nothing you can tell me could be worse than what I've lived through in the past 48 hours."

"Unfortunately son, that's only the tip of the iceberg."

"Start talking," Steve commanded.

Joe gasped in a shuddering breath and licked his lips in dread of the dire consequences of his confession. "Maybe you'd better sit down."

"I'll stand, thank you," Steve replied bitterly.

"Suit yourself. Alright, here goes." He shut his eyes to muster up the courage to disclose the biggest kept secret he's withheld for over thirty-five years. "You're right, I'm Shelburne," he revealed somewhat proudly with a clenched jaw.

"Then why say mom is Shelburne? You make her a target."

"No because no one knows but you. Shelburne is still an enigma among Yakuza members."

"My father worked relentlessly at catching this guy and you mean to stand there and tell me it was you all these years? You were his best friend, the man he entrusted with his own life!" Steve sputtered, laboring to hold the vial of wrath from pouring out on Joe.

"I never betrayed your father," Joe maintained fiercely. "Your mother however did know and tried to convince John to drop his investigation of the Yakuza for fear of his life."

"She would have told dad."

"She didn't because…," Joe faltered.

Steve's brows creased deeper, "Because what?"

"She and I were romantically involved," Steve eyes dropped like lead at the bombshell. His chest tightened, his respiration coming in raspy breaths. "She and your father were having marital problems at the time," Joe continued, "We had a brief affair but when she became pregnant with you, she decided to work at saving her marriage and succeeded in patching things up with your father."

Steve was livid, the confession searing through his soul like a hot poker. The seed of suspicion Joe planted started to grow in his mind. His eyes bulged out, blood pounded at his throat at the sudden realization. "Oh no…no, no, no," he shook his head wildly, refusing to allow that remote possibility. "No, that can't be. You're not…."

"Yes I am," Joe deadpanned.

Steve dropped one hand against the wall for support as his body went completely numbed. "I don't believe you."

"It's true. I'm your father."

"Does she know?" Steve gnarled.

"Of course she did, but kept it from your father. Right now…no. I didn't tell her. I didn't see the point."

He was drowning under an onslaught of deceits and betrayals. The weight was overwhelming. He labored to gain back a semblance of composure as he swayed between rage and despair. "Why does Wo Fat want to kill Shelburne? What did he do?"

As if on cue, Danny showed up and opened another can of worms. "I know. Turns out your pal here is the head of the Yakuza."

Steve's head shot toward Danny, eyes like saucers. "What?"

"Where did you hear that?" Joe asked, miffed.

"From one of your fishing buddies," Danny minced. "He tried to get rid of me outside."

"The stupid fool," Joe muttered under his breath.

"Danny, are you okay?" Steve asked, concerned.

"Yeah I'm alright. He wanted to take me on a canoe ride to Lord knows where. I managed to slap the gun out of his hand and it landed into the water. We struggled to get the upper hand, then he knocked me on the head. I was out briefly, but long enough for him to give me the slip."

"And mom?"

"She was still inside. I checked, she's fine. I also secured the perimeter. The guy was alone."

Steve turned to Joe. "Is that true, Joe?"

"Wo Fat craves to be number one in the organization but knows he can't sit in that throne before he eliminates the reigning king, though he never knew the identity of the top man, only that he went by the name of Shelburne. That's why he's hell-bent on killing him," Danny explained. Catching Joe's inquisitive stare, he added, "Your boy was very chatty before he flew the coop. He thought I would not live to pass the word around."

"You had my father killed?" Steve rasped out, striving to get his breathing under control.

"No that was Wo Fat's doing. He went over my head and ordered John's execution when it became obvious that your father was getting near of dismantling the whole operation."

There was an ominous loll in the confession before Joe stepped up to Steve to lay a hand on his shoulder. With eyes shut tight to prevent the tears from gushing out, Steve sensed the touch and quickly swapped the hand away in a jerky motion. "DON'T touch me you backstabbing bastard!" he spewed out, his body shuddering from the penned up rage simmering within. He balled his hand into a fist and rammed it into the wall, punching a hole clear through. He then turned to Joe with dark black seething eyes. "Why? I trusted you."

"Your father never knew the truth and I vowed that his family would never know either, for their protection."

"Joe, you do realize that being the head of a crime network I have to bring you in?"

"But you won't," Joe challenged. "You don't hold any evidence of my involvement with the Yakuza that can justify my arrest," Joe gloated, raising Steve's hackles tenfold. "Like Wo Fat, I covered my tracks, proof being that you never knew it was me."

"Danny. We're leaving!" Steve ground firmly, grabbing his bag and nudging Danny out the door. "Where's my mom?"

"She's in her room."

"Wait!" Joe shouted, followed by a clicking sound. The two men turned around to see a gun thrust at them. "I can't let her go with you."

"What? You're going to shoot us? You, my own flesh and blood?" The words laced with sarcasm startled Danny who stared at Steve, bewildered.

"No I don't want to hurt you, son."

"Don't call me son," Steve seethed. "If she's not Shelburne, then she has nothing to worry about. Does she?"

"What's going on here?" Margaret asked as she stepped into the room, alerted by all the commotion. She yelped upon seeing the gun. "Joe! What are you doing?"

"Stay out of this, Maggie."

"Why are you pointing a gun at them?"

"Tell her, Joe," Steve stammered with rage as he inched toward him, "Tell her what you told me. I'm sure she doesn't know the WHOLE story. Go on! Tell her!" he goaded the man who stood defiant.

"Stay back, Steve," he waved his gun as a warning. "Don't come any closer. I don't want to hurt you but I will if I have to."

"Put the gun down," Steve tried to reasoned, but to no avail. He turned to his distressed mother and placed a hand on her shoulder. "He says I can't take you with me back to Hawaii."

Margaret stared at Joe with a deep questioning look. "Why not?"

"It's not safe."

"But you said it was. That the man who had John killed is behind bars, thanks to Steve. Isn't that why you brought him to me?"

"Unfortunately the threat is still looming, Maggie. I can't take a chance of you being hurt. I couldn't bear it."

"It's simple: spread the word that you're Shelburne and not her," Steve suggested acridly as he locked his hawk eye on Joe, studying his body language, watching for the tiniest hint of a chink in the otherwise tough armor. He was poised ready to lunge at the man at first hint of a window of opportunity without endangering the two innocent people in the room. Like him, Joe had been trained to keep alert in similar situations, but Steve noticed that he was visibly struggling to keep his restraint after his mom had walked into the room.

Danny could sense his partner raring to pounce on the man and deck him. He watched for any unspoken signal Steve would throw his way as cue to jump into action.

Margaret edged up to Joe pleading, begging him to lower his weapon and clarify his refusal to allow her to return to Hawaii with Steve.

In the speed of light, Steve leapt across the room to land on Joe before the man had time to pull the security back on his gun. The two fell into a heap onto the hard wooden floor, with Steve grinding his knee into Joe's gut while struggling to pry the weapon out of Joe's hand.

While the two wrestled, Danny pulled Margaret aside to safety. "Please Danny, make it stop," she begged him.

"This is something your son has to do for himself," Danny replied, aware that this was his partner's personal vendetta against a man who betrayed him. Although he knew ninja Steve could handle himself with his fancy footwork, he nevertheless stood at the ready to rush to his rescue should the odds turn against him.

Joe kept his ground as he and Steve struggled for the gun. He curled his left hand wearing a ring into a tightly clenched fist. "I'm sorry Steve," he hissed. "I didn't want to do this." He drove his fist into Steve's gut, momentarily debilitating him. He grunted from the burning sensation, but never lost grip on Joe's wrist and the two resumed their thrashing. More punches flew, but neither lost sight of their goal.

Unable to bear the groaning and sound of flesh against flesh, Maggie pulled to wrench herself free of Danny's grip and rushed to the tangled heap on the floor to attempt to pry apart her two men. As Danny darted off to her aid, the jarring sound of a gunshot rent the air. A deathly silence ensued as they waited for the shoe to drop.


	5. Chapter 5

Out of the corner of his eye Steve saw his mom leaning heavily into his partner, with Danny holding her by the shoulders as he slowly lowered her to the floor. The crimson blotch seeping through her blouse was evidence that the straight bullet had hit its target. "Mom! Noooooooo!" he bawled, eyes bulging out of their sockets. With rage coursing through in his veins, he turned to Joe and assailed him with blows, forcing the man to unwittingly surrender his weapon. Joe quickly bounced back, turning the odds in his favor by grasping Steve's neck and tightened his grip until his opponent began gasping for air. Steve was losing ground, the struggle now shifting to keeping conscious. With one easy push, Joe shoved Steve aside and rolled on top of him to apply increasing pressure on his neck.

Danny knew he had to kick into action to release Steve out of that neck hold. He gently laid the dying woman on the floor and lunged at Joe who, sensing the threat, swiftly kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him before it sent him hurling back to the floor with a loud thud.

Steve seized that brief moment of distraction to knee Joe in the stomach, thus enabling him to turn the tables on his adversary. Momentarily stunned and outnumbered by the two Five-0 elites, the high ranking officer played his last ace by grabbing the gun and bolting out of the cabin.

"I'll get him," Danny said, teetering to his feet and sprinting after the fugitive.

"Danny, careful!" Steve warned. "He's got a gun!"

With Danny hot on Joe's heels, Steve turned his attention back to his dying mother. He crawled over to her on all four and carefully cradled her limp form in his arms. He removed his shirt and balled it into a makeshift dressing to staunch the bleeding. One quick once-over told him that the bullet was lodged close to the heart.

Danny caught Joe just as he was getting into the canoe. "Hold it right there, Williams. Don't make another move." Danny stopped dead in his track and spread his arms in defeat. "I don't want to hurt you."

"No, you just sent one of your goons to do the job instead," Danny quipped, his voice laced with a venom he never knew he had.

"I warned him not to lay a finger on you. He'll be taken care of."

"Oh that makes me feel so much better." Sarcasms abounded. He kept his eyes trained on Joe who strode into the canoe. "Wait a minute! She's dying in there and you're leaving us here?"

"There's a medic kit inside. You and Steve take care of her while I send someone. In the meantime, a word of advice: don't breathe a word of what you've learned here today or you'll live to regret it, and I wouldn't want that. I still need you for what comes next."

"Wait, what…what are you talking about?"

"You'll soon find out." On those callous words, Joe took the paddles and started rowing away under Danny's glare.

Danny returned to the cabin to witness the heartrending scene. He hurried over to Steve and hunched down next to him, a hand on his shuddering shoulder.

"She's bleeding pretty bad, Danno," Steve choked out, briefly releasing the pressure to check the wound.

"I'll go fetch the first-aid kit," Danny said, dashing off in search of the medical supplies.

"Mom, please mom, open your eyes," Steve pleaded, as he rocked her in a gentle motion, hoping to elicit a response. "Please!" Finally, her eyes fluttered open, sending a flicker of hope. "You're going to be alright. Just hang on."

"I'm...I'm sorry, son," she whimpered, as she weakly reached out a hand to his cheek, which he took into his own.

"Shushhhhhhh, you have nothing to be sorry about. It wasn't your fault," he snivelled, delicately brushing a strand a hair from her forehead. "You're going home now. I'm taking you back to Hawaii to live with me and perhaps Mary. We can be a family again."

She closed her eyes and smiled reminiscently. "I'd like that very much," she breathed out. Her brows creased as a wave of pain washed over, causing Steve to tighten his hold on her.

"Stay with me, mom. You're a McGarrett, remember. We don't give us easily." Again, a faint smile crossed her lips. Steve kissed her forehead and when he pulled back to look at her once more, her eyes were closed and he could feel her body going limp in his arms. "No mom, please. Don't do this!" he beseeched, his breaths hitching. "Please hang on. Don't leave me again," he wept into her hair.

Danny returned with the first-aid kit and knelt by Steve, unbeknownst to him that the woman had just passed away.

"She's dead," Steve cried, his body racked with sobs "Oh Danno, I lost her again."

Danny's heart shattered at the news. He wrapped a comforting arm around Steve's shoulders and gently pulled him to his chest, where he completely broke down.

* * *

Later that morning Danny was in the cabin, rummaging through the refrigerator and cupboard to whip up something to eat while waiting for the authorities to come pick up the body.

Before exiting the premises, he cast a gloomy glance at Margaret's blanket-covered body on the sofa and shivered at the thought of losing his partner to an emotional chasm. He needed to be strong for the both of them for what would come ahead.

With two cheese and lettuce sandwiches in hand, Danny made his way to the dock where he found Steve sitting on the grass, leaning sluggishly against a tree with a blank look in his eyes.

"Here you go," Danny handed Steve a sandwich. "It's all I could whip up...," he cut in mid-sentence when noticing his friend's haggard expression. "Hey Steve? You with me?"

Steve blinked heavily and muttered weakly, "Yeah...yeah I'm here...barely." Danny put the sandwiches down on the napkin and sat by Steve to give his arm a friendly squeeze. "It's as if someone sucked all the blood and reached into my chest to pluck my heart out. That was the ultimate betrayal, Danny. So many turned on me over the years but I never thought, Joe..." his voice tailed off at the searing pain the mere thought inflicted.

Danny scooted closer to Steve to wrap his arm around his sagging shoulders. Steve turned to Danny with entreating eyes. "Promise me Danny that you will never betray me like that."

Danny squeezed Steve's shoulder and sucked in a shuddering breath. "I can't. There isn't a man on this earth that can make me turn traitor on you and you know why?" Steve shook his head, a bit puzzled. "Because of the faith you put in me every single day. You're more than a partner, you're a loyal friend, an unwavering confidant, a sounding board that keeps me anchored when things get rough. You're always there for me, the closest thing to a sibling I've ever had, even with Matt. You trust me implicitly with your own life. Days I feel so overwhelmed by what you're willing to entrust in me," he ended with a strangled voice. He stared at Steve who gazed back with a grateful smile. "THIS is why I would never betray you, babe. I don't dare lose what we have. Because I too would end up alone and that's the worse feeling in the world, especially in the pineapple-infested hell hole," he ended on an amusing tone, eliciting a small giggle out of his anguished friend.

"Oomph," Steve moaned, grimacing as a blazing pang radiated in his lower abdomen.

"Is it your belly?"

"Yeah," Steve groaned between gritted teeth, as he rubbed his stomach. "Still throbs."

"Joe thrust one helluva punch. I'm surprised you didn't belch all over him when he did. Here, let me see." Steve offered no resistance as his partner gingerly lifted the bottom of his tee-shirt to assess the swollen bruise. "It's an angry bruise there. Once we get to Hawaii I'd have a doctor take a look."

"I'm ok. I've had worse." A faint grin flickered on his lips. "You know what you said...it goes both ways."

"I know."

"I yell at you, you yell at me. We fight like cats and dogs sometimes but in the end..."

"You don't need to explain, babe." Danny took one sandwich and offered it to Steve.

"Thanks but I'm not hungry."

"Just one bite. We've got a long road ahead before we get back to the islands."

Steve tentatively sank his teeth into the sandwich and chewed on the bite with some disgust.

"What?" Danny said indignantly. "You don't like my sandwich?"

"It's not that. I'm really not hungry. It just won't go in." He set the sandwich down on the grass beside him and leaned his head back against the trunk.

Danny shrugged. No sooner had he taken a bite out of his own sandwich, that he too made a face. "Yeah, well, turns out I'm not very hungry either. Either that or it's the cheese." He wrapped the sandwich in the napkin and settled more comfortably on the grass next to Steve. They beckoned the peaceful quietude, allowing the balminess of the morning air to soothe their tortured souls.

Danny broke the silence as he ventured to ask, "Steve, can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"What did you mean when you said to Joe that he wouldn't kill his own flesh and blood?" Steve winced at the raw memory. "Hey it's okay. We don't have to talk about it now."

"My mom and Joe had an affair," Steve deadpanned.

The air whooshed out of Danny's lungs, "Oh shit." He held a hand over his eyes, sliding it down to cover his mouth.

"According to him, mom and dad were having a marital discord and Joe was there..."

"And you believed him?"

"I don't know what to think anymore, Danny. Why would he lie about that?"

"He lied about everything else," Danny remarked sharply. "Why should this revelation be any different? I say it's a total crap."

Steve turned to him with a knowing grin. "The Danno instincts?"

Danny replied with a tiny curl of the lip. "Guess so."

Steve angrily thwacked himself on the head. "Dammit! Why can't I handle this like a man? This isn't me, puny and pathetic!"

"Congratulations, babe! You just found out you are human after all."

"You know what? I hate it."

"No one said it was a walk in the park." He looked out in the distance at the sound of a boat engine drawing closer. "I think that's them." He eased himself up and offered Steve a hand to give him a hoist up. As he did, Steve was seized by a sudden queasiness. "Whoa... you okay?" he asked worriedly as he steadied Steve on his feet.

"Yeah," Steve heaved out, swallowing hard the bile rising to his throat. "This human thing is hard on the system."

"Tell me about it. Stick close to me, buddy. We'll make it." Steve nodded and grabbed Danny's arm for support.

* * *

It was hours later when they both boarded a plane bound for Honolulu. Steve was resting his eyes against his aisle seat when Danny returned with a glass of cold water for Steve and a beer for himself. "Here's your water, babe."

Steve's eyes snapped open but remained at half-mast. "Thanks, Danno." He took the offered glass and drank a few sips.

"How you feeling?" Danny asked as he strode over Steve to get to his window seat.

"I'm so tired," Steve dragged out, blinking heavily in a feeble attempt to keep his weary eyes open.

"Well I say it's normal after what you went through. Navy training aside, such a traumatic experience is bound to zap your energy. Nothing that a round-the-clock slumber won't cure," Danny emboldened with a friendly tap on his arm. "You sure you don't want a beer, or something stronger? Here," he offered his own glass of beer, "have some of mine."

Steve cracked a faint smile and shook his head. "Water's good," he said, taking another gulp. "What about…."

Steve needed not finish his sentence that Danny anticipated the question. "I've spoken with the captain. The coroner will meet us at the airport. Once the post-mortem is performed and the standard paperwork's out of the way, they'll release the body in the care of the undertaker."

Steve signed. His drooping eyelids getting heavier by the minute. "Thanks for helping me with the arrangements."

"Hey! That's what partners are for. I also got Chin on the phone. You'll be happy to know that both Malia and Kono are on the mend."

"That's good news," he breathed out, eyes closed. "We need to drop by the hospital as soon as we land."

"We'll see. That'll all depend if you're up to it."

"I just need to catch a few winks and I'll be alright."

Danny took Steve's glass from his hand and placed it in the hole on the armrest, after which he drew Steve's seat into a reclined position. Then he grabbed his pillow and adjusted it behind his head. "You sleep now and I'll wake you when we touch ground." He mantled Steve's body with a thin blanket and pulled it to his shoulders.

"Thanks," Steve whispered as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Danny eased himself into his own seat and enjoyed his beer. Throughout the trip, he would cast glimpses at his friend whenever small moans would escape his lips. He worried that this ordeal was taking a bigger toll on the SEAL's health than he might have originally assessed.

* * *

Steve turned a deaf ear to Danny's unrelenting tirade about grabbing a nap before driving by the hospital. The Jersey man did however yield to Steve's demand after threatening him to bribe a doctor to keep him overnight should he renege on his promise to keep his visit under an hour.

"Chin!" Danny hailed from the end of the hallway as they made their way to the waiting room.

Chin was at the coffee vending machine when he heard the familiar voice. Discarding his empty cup in the trash can, he quickened the pace toward Danny and Steve to meet them halfway. All three fell into each other's arms.

"It's so good to see you, guys," Chin quavered, tightening the embrace.

The finally pulled apart and gave each other a quick assessment.

"How are they?" Steve asked.

"They are doing much better," a weary-worn and puffy-eyed Chin sniffed. "Malia is expected to make a full recovery. She's already starting to complain about the food."

"And Kono?" Steve asked expectantly.

"Doctors are amazed by her progress. Apparently there is no brain damage and no sequel whatsoever from her trial."

"Is she awake? Can we see her?" Danny asked, glancing at Steve with a concern eye as he noticed his partner beginning to sway.

"Sure. She'd love to see you. In fact she's been asking for you. Come with me. I'll show you to her room."

Chin led the way down the hall. Danny and Steve followed at a lesser pace.

"Babe, are you're holding up okay?" Danny asked Steve, clasping at his arm to offer support.

"I'm fine! Quit worrying, mother hen," Steve griped, flinging his arm free of Danny's grip.

Steve took the lead with Danny lagging behind. He shook his head and mumbled, "Stubborn SOB."

Chin ushered Steve into Kono's room. While he made his way to the bed, Chin grabbed Danny's arm and pulled him back out. "What in God's name happened to him? He looks like death warmed over," he stated, having recoiled at Steve's zombiish features when he first set sight on him.

"I'm surprised he's still standing," Danny said dismally. "I'll fill you in later. In a nutshell, he's an emotional wreck. He was out like a log throughout the flight and when I woke him, he looked worse than a man who had pulled an all-night shift. I'm worried about him, Chin. Once you know what happened, you'll understand why he's right on the edge." Danny took one step back and eyed Chin from head to toe. "By the looks of you, you're not too far off yourself."

"I've had better days," Chin exhaled in a shuddering breath. "I not only worried about the girls, but about Steve."

"Well I'm grateful to you for having convinced me to board that plane. Alone in that jungle," Danny shook his head, "he might not have come out alive."

Chin frowned. "Was it that bad?"

Danny's closing his eyes in despair was self-explanatory.

Back in the room, Kono's eyes flickered open and rested on the beaming smile of her boss. "Steve!" Kono exulted, extending her arms. He sat on the edge of the bed and held her tight. "I was so scared," she wept into his shoulder. "When I was thrown into the water, bound and gagged, I couldn't…."

"Shuuuuuu, it's okay. You're safe now. I'm so sorry I couldn't be there for you, kiddo."

She pulled back, her cheeks glistening with tears. "You couldn't have known."

Steve delicately dabbed at her tears with his thumbs. "Oh but I did. Somehow I knew Delano was behind those killings and I didn't do anything to stop him."

"Chin said that HPD caught him and he's back in jail."

Danny looked at Chin who confirmed the news with a nod of the head.

"Thank God for that."

"What about you? Chin told me you were in Japan with Joe. Did he take you to Shelburne?"

Steve hid his anguish behind a strained smile and gave a slight shake of the head. "Let's not talk about that now."

Noticing Steve's pallor, she reached a hand out to his cheek. "You don't look so good."

He covered her hand with his and slid it down to clasp her wrist. "I'll be okay. I'm just a bit tired."

"Can I get a hug?" Danny asked as he stepped to the opposite side of the bed to embrace his favourite girl. "It's good to have you back."

"Have you been taking care of the boss, here? He doesn't look too chipper."

Steve chuckled. "He's been a mother hen, smothering me, which is probably why I feel a bit light-headed."

Danny threw a smirk. "I've been pestering him to take a long nap but the knucklehead won't listen."

"I'll make do on my promise to go…." Steve went to stand and the world suddenly went swimming. Chin grabbed a hold of him before he sank to the floor.


	6. Chapter 6

Danny rushed over to the opposite side of the bed to grab a hold of Steve's arm. "You okay? What a stupid question, of course you're not okay. Come… sit down." He and Chin eased Steve down in an armchair.

Steve inhaled a deep breath to quell the dizziness. "I just got up too fast."

"I'll go fetch the doctor," Chin offered and was out the door before Steve could bicker.

"You don't look so good," Danny observed worriedly.

"I agree." Kono put in her two cents worth.

"Guys, I'm just bushed," Steve exasperated, eyes closed and head resting against the back of the chair. "No need to make a federal case out of it."

"You just let the doctor be the judge. I have a hunch he will sentence you to overnight observation."

Chin returned with the doctor who instantly took in Steve's chalky complexion, hollow cheeks, and drooping eyelids. He bent down to Steve's level and placed his palm against his forehead. "Commander McGarrett, I'm Doctor Kalua. Mr. Kelly here tells me you had a bout of vertigo?"

"I'm fine, doctor," Steve huffed out in frustration. "It's not the first time I felt woozy and I expect it won't be the last. I'm just a bit tired, that's all. These people are making a fuss over something as trivial as mere strain."

Doctor Kalua carefully studied the corneal reflexes and took Steve's pulse.

"You said you've had them before. How often?"

"It's an occupational hazard in my line of work."

"That's the third one he's had in the past twenty-four hours," Danny informed.

Kalua groped Steve's scalp to probe for any bump that might indicate a concussion. "Did you hit your head in the last few hours?"

"No."

"He received quite a wallop in the stomach. There's an angry bruise there," Danny indicated.

Doctor Kalua lifted the edge of Steve's shirt and methodically pressed against the discoloured area to detect any stiffness. "Do you feel any pain?"

"No. It was tender before but now it's okay."

"The abdomen's not rigid, so we can rule out internal bleeding. However the skin is slightly broken. What happened?"

"I got into a fight with a worthy opponent," Steve explained. "He rammed his fist into my belly and I think his ring is what broke my skin. I felt a prick."

The doctor stood and put his stethoscope to Steve's chest, asking him to take deep breaths. He then looped it around his neck and gave an educated guess. "At first glance I can't find anything physically wrong, aside from that contusion. However I'm concerned about that color and shortness of breath, plus which the frequent bouts of dizziness can be an indication to a deeper problem, including an aneurysm."

"My head is fine," Steve argued, swiftly turning to Danny before he could crack a joke, "Shut up!"

Danny bit his upper lip to hold his tongue.

"Nevertheless I would like to conduct a few tests as a preventive measure. Be right back." Kalua momentarily stepped out of the room to fetch a wheelchair.

Steve rolled his eyes and insisted, "Geez! Guys listen, I'm all right!"

"Humor us, babe," Danny induced. "Perhaps you should have heeded my advice."

"Danny I didn't see the need to have another lie-down considering I slept all through the flight coming here."

"Obviously it wasn't enough."

"I'll just snooze on that couch over there," he motioned to the sofa across the room, "and hopefully I'll pump some gas back in the system,"

"Commander, you'll be more comfortable in a bed," The doctor stated as he returned with a wheelchair. "I'll take you to a private room down the hall where you can rest while we run the tests."

"You can't turn down this gracious hospitality. Wouldn't be nice," Danny bantered, reaching for Steve's arm to assist him to the wheelchair.

Steve twisted his arm out Danny's grasp and griped, "I can walk!"

"Is he always this pigheaded?" The doctor asked.

Danny sniggered, "No comment."

"I'm not pigheaded," Steve objected, a bit miffed by the comment. "I just know what I can and cannot do."

"Take that as a yes," Chin chimed in.

"I see you're all ganging up on me."

"That's right, for your own good. Now you be a good little boy and SIT, " Danny snapped, practically shoving Steve down in the wheelchair, "in the chair and let the good doctor take you to a nice comfy room where you'll go beddy-byes. Now say goodbye to Danny, Chin and Kono now."

Steve gave Danny the evil eye.

"He'll be in room 601, down the hall," The doctor informed Danny before wheeling his new patient out of the room.

"Wow! Did you see that? He actually listened to you! You're getting the hang of this." Chin observed amusedly.

"Rarely have I seen that. He must really be sick. But judging by the crazed look he shot me, I fear he's going to make me pay for my little flare-up," he said, cringing at the thought of Steve's revenge.

Chin turned to Kono that he noticed could barely keep her eyes open. "Cuz, we'll let you rest a bit. Danny and me'll go grab a cup of coffee. We'll be back shortly."

Through a yawn, Kono murmured her understanding and drifted off to sleep.

Before leaving the room with Chin, Danny gave Kono's hand a gentle squeeze. "You hang tough now, you hear?"

Outside the room, Danny suggested visiting with Malia.

"She's sleeping right now and I don't want to disturb her," Chin said, nudging Danny toward the waiting room. "Let's get some coffee and talk. I want to know everything that went on in Japan."

"You sure you're up for this?" a question directed more at himself than at Chin.

They stopped at the coffee vending machine and Chin chose first. "If I didn't know better I'd say he'd witnessed hell on earth. I've never seen him looking so ghastly before and please, don't sugar coat it on my account."

"He's been through the ringer all right," Danny sighed dejectedly.

"Then start talking, brah." Chin exhorted, vacating the space so Danny could take his turn at the coffee dispenser. "When we last spoke on the phone, you said you were bringing Steve's mother back to Hawaii."

"Yeah,"

"Where is she?"

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, "Downstairs."

"Downs...," the word caught in Chin's throat as it dawned on him. "Danny that's the morgue."

Danny waited for his cup to fill up and motioned Chin to join him in the waiting room. "Danny?"

Danny flumped down on the sofa and took a healthy gulp of coffee. Chin sat next to him, his frown deepening at the sight of his friend's dejection. "She's dead?" Danny gave a weak nod of the head. "Oh my God! What happened?"

"Joe and Steve were at each other's throats. They came to blows and wrestled for the gun, it went off and she was accidently shot in the chest. She died in Steve's arms minutes later," Danny said forlornly, his mind a clutter of parts of a nightmarish jigsaw puzzle that he needed to piece together for Chin's benefit.

"Joe and Steve fighting? What for?"

"The triggering element was a blend of several startling confessions, starting with Joe being Shelburne, not Margaret McGarrett."

"Joe? Why would he lie about that?"

"Turns out he was using her as a decoy to convince Steve that as long as Wo Fat was still breathing, her life was in danger. Said that they could have tortured her for information she might have had on John McGarrett's investigation of the Yakuza. Even behind bars he could still get to her. He wanted to coax Steve into releasing Wo Fat into his custody and that in turn, Joe could take him out for good, thus allowing Steve to bring his mom back home, seeing how the threat would have been lifted."

"I doubt Steve would have agreed to that."

"You're right, he didn't. When he insisted on bringing his mother back with us, Joe forbid it and pulled out a gun. Meanwhile, one of his goons tried to kill me" Chin reacted. "Luckily he missed and fled, but not before he revealed that Steve's mentor, the man he entrusted with his own life, was the head honcho of the Yakuza network and had been for many years."

"I don't believe this," Chin was completely floored.

"It's true. Now Wo Fat's quest for Shelburne all made sense. He wanted to knock him down the throne so he could take his rightful place."

"So Shelburne is the head of the organization?"

"Precisely."

"Dear Lord!" Chin was beside himself. He put his cup on the table, stood and ran his hands through his hair.

"Steve's mother knew from the start that he was the top man and tried to get John to drop his investigation of the Yakuza for fear of his life."

"Was she involved?"

"Apparently not, but who knows?"

"So Joe was behind John's murder?"

"Rumor has it that it was Wo Fat's doing." Danny paused, allowing Chin to process it all before he continued, "And that's just the cake. The icing is that at some point, Steve's parents experienced marital problems. Margaret sought comfort in Joe, first as a confidant and friend. One thing led to another and ...well you get the picture."

"He had an affair with her?"

"That's what he told Steve."

Chin was utterly dumbfounded.

"And last nail in Steve's coffin... Joe and Margaret's affair apparently produced a son."

Chin stared at Danny. "You don't mean?" Danny pursing his lips was answer enough. Chin ran his hands through his hair and grabbed at the back of his neck, pacing the floor like a caged animal.

"Now you see why he looks so hagridden? He may be SuperSEAL with a high threshold for pain, but this has understandably reached his breaking point. He got the wind knocked out of him and can't seem to suck it back in."

"I need a drink. Want one?"

"Yeah. I could use something stronger than coffee right now. I'll join you in a minute. Just want to check on our big lug and see if he's behaving properly."

"Ok, I'll just check on Malia and meet you outside."

Danny headed to Steve's room and padded inside with a wince. "Is it safe to come in?"

Steve turned his head lazily toward his partner and smiled reassuringly. "Yeah."

Danny walked the rest of the way. "Sorry I had to be so blunt back there, but the situation called for desperate measures."

"S'okay," Steve breathed out, eyes closed, sinking his head into his pillow. "I needed to be set straight."

"That you did," Danny agreed.

Steve squinted mischievously. "And you enjoyed that, didn't you?"

"Immensely," Danny ribbed back. He laid a friendly hand on Steve's shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Lousy. It's weird, Danno. I feel drained but when I catch some winks, I wake up feeling worse. I've suffered from exhaustion before but never like this. I feel so weak."

Danny patted Steve's shoulder. "Well don't fret about it. I'm sure they tests will give us some clue."

"Danny, I underwent a complete physical three weeks ago when I went to my monthly training. If something was wrong, I'm sure they would have caught it?"

"I'm thinking this might be a bug you contracted while we were on that island."

Steve frowned as he pondered for a moment. "You could be right. In that case, you should get tested too."

"Yeah, I will. Wouldn't want to spread that thing around, whatever it is." He rubbed Steve's arm, ending with a friendly pat. "Babe, I'm gonna go out with Chin for a bit. I should be back in an hour. You'll be okay?"

Danny's brotherly concern never ceased to tug at his heart, but he wasn't about to tell him for he knew he would never live it down "Yeah, I won't go anywhere." He reached for Danny's arm and gave it a weak squeeze. "Thanks Danno...for everything," his voice trailed off as the last ounce of energy left him.

Danny smiled and gently nudged Steve's shoulder with his fist. "Don't mention it, you pigheaded mule."

Danny spotted Dr. Kalua at the nurses' station and walked up to him.

"Doctor Kalua?"

"Detective Williams. Something wrong?"

"No, well yes...I don't know. This thing Commander McGarrett has, well I suspect it could be a virus of some sort he caught while in Suruga Bay. We were both on this tiny island and...well.. I'd like for you to take a blood sample to see if I could be infected."

"Yes of course. Nurse," he hailed one of the nurses on staff at the station, "could you take two vials of Detective Williams's blood and send them down to the lab for analysis, please?"

"Right away, doctor." Then addressing Danny, "Come right this way, sir."

* * *

Once the blood samples taken, Danny joined Chin at a local pub across the street. Danny elaborated on the Suruga Bay episode and in turn, Chin filled him in on the Delano bust and his own tribulation with Malia's shooting and Kono's drowning.

Meanwhile, somewhere on the islands...

Joe dialed a number on his cell phone. "Chan?"

"Joe?"

"What part of laying low didn't you understand?" he lashed out.

"What's the matter?"

"Mirko. He paid me an unexpected visit. Not only that, he tried to kill Williams."

"I wasn't told about that," Chan replied.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. He hasn't reported back yet."

"The bloody idiot blabbed. Now McGarrett and Williams know all about me."

"Then we have a big problem."

"Gee, you think?" Joe snorted.

"He will be taken care of."

"Save it, the damage's done. Besides Plan B's already in motion."

"Good."

He sighed heavily into the phone. "I don't think I'm going to go through with it, though. Let's face it, Williams doesn't have half the clout McGarrett does. He won't be able to carry it out."

"McGarrett has to die one way or the other. Williams is next. They know too much."

"Yeah, them and probably dozens of others by now, you plan to kill them all?" Joe scoffed at the inanity of Chan's plan. "No, I need to disappear for a while for everyone's sake. I'll run the show from my remote location. I need to be on my toes 'cause I know McGarrett will shadow me and stop at nothing to dig me out of my foxhole."

"All the more reason to eliminate him," Chan crunched his words.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's wait another few hours and see how it goes. Perhaps Williams can pull it off after all. I know he'd give his life for his partner. He might be able to find the resources to do our bidding."

"I don't like this, Joe. Too risky."

"I'm the boss, aren't I? I say we wait. Thereafter we'll plan our next course of action."

* * *

Barely an hour later, Danny and Chin returned to the hospital feeling a bit more lighthearted than when they first left. Doctor Kalua was at the nurses' station scribbling down notes in a patient's file when they walked up to him.

"Doctor Kalua, do you have the results of our tests?"

"As a matter of fact I do. You are listed as Commander's McGarrett's medical proxy."

"That's right," Danny said with some dread at the doctor's mention of his medical POA. "What's wrong with him?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Have you noticed any sign of unusual drowsiness he might have exhibited over the past weeks?"

"No, quite the opposite actually. He's always so bouncy, bursting with energy," Danny glanced at Chin who nodded in agreement. Then a flash sprung to Danny's mind, "that is until we left Japan yesterday. He was feeling a bit queasy and lost his sense of balance a few times, but I imputed it to the emotional shock he'd just received. What is it Doctor?"

"He has an abnormally low RCBC, that's a red cell blood count. And seeing how the symptoms appeared less than forty-eight hours ago confirms that his current condition is tied to the foreign body we found in his blood. It's targeting his red cells, thus decreasing his hemoglobin level and consequently, the oxygen. That accounts for the tachycardia, which is an irregular rapid heart rate, his shortness of breath and pallor."

"Is it a virus?"

"No. Not a virus, nor a bacteria. Its molecular structure suggests more of a toxin or a chemical component. I'm reluctant to administer any type of medication until we know for certain what we're dealing with. We could do more harm than good. Any number of poisons can attack the red blood cells. This one is highly intricate in its composition. Unlike anything we've seen before and doesn't appear to be catalogued anywhere.

"What about my tests?"

"You're clean. Your blood shows no trace of that foreign agent and your RCBC is normal."

"Is that something he could have inadvertently ingested?" Chin surmised.

"We believe it was injected, the point of entry being the broken skin on his abdomen where he received the blow. Further testing will confirm or refute that assumption. Meanwhile his immune system is working double shift at trying to eradicate the intruder, which is causing his white cells to multiple, causing a slight rise in his body temperature."

"What now?"

"We'll closely monitor his hematocrit level and if it drops below the critical level, we will need to give him a blood transfusion.

"Have you told him yet?"

"No. He was asleep and I want him well rested in the event we need to start a transfusion. We will put him on a heart monitor and keep an eye on his vitals. Of course we are keeping him here overnight, longer if deemed necessary."

"In that case I'd better tell him to spare you having to sedate him and tie him down to the bed. He doesn't care much for hospitals for having been admitted number of times, more than I care to tally."

The doctor laughed, recalling the episode back in Kono's room. "Sure. Be my guest. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate. We should know more in a couple of hours once the remaining lab results are available."

"Thank you, doctor," Danny said, shaking hands with Kalua.

Danny held a hand to his face and huffed out in anger, "I can't believe he would do this to him!"

"What you talking about?"

"Joe."

"Joe? What's he got to do with this?"

"You heard the doctor, that poison or whatever it is was injected to him. His stomach. That's where Joe hit him hard and Steve said he felt a stab."

"Come on, Danny! Joe wouldn't go as far as killing his own...," Chin faltered at the word he couldn't bring himself to utter aloud.

"I didn't think so either. Obviously he's desperate. But what is he hoping to gain by killing him?" Danny glanced down at his watch. "Oh damn, I need to call the lawyer."

"Go ahead. In the meantime I'll check on the girls."

Danny nodded and headed toward the exit. As he started dialing the lawyer's number, his phone rang.

"Danny Williams."

"Danny, it's Joe."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the proverbial father! What's the matter, babe? Did you misplace the engraved gold-plated father-of-the-year plaque we sent you?" the statement dripped with crushing cynicism.

"Your cynicism is about as dull as a butter knife, Danny boy," Joe sassed back. "How's Margaret?"

"What do you care? You left her to die."

"There was nothing I could do."

"Just being with her in her last moment would have been enough. No, you ran off and left us stranded."

"Steve was there for her and I did send a medical team."

"Oh yeah but by the time they showed up, it was already too late."

Joe squished his eyes together against the pain inflicted by the news of his sweetheart's death. "Damn, everything was proceeding according to plan. No one was going to get hurt but no, you had to show up and stick your nose where it didn't belong!"

"Excuse me!" Danny erupted, "I wasn't going to sit idly by and watch you tear him apart! You've done a pretty good number on him so far. He's an emotional mess and you and I both know it takes a lot to bring him down."

"He'll survive."

"I'm sure he will but at what cost? By the way, where are you?"

"You need not know."

"I could easily trace this call."

"You could but it wouldn't do you any good. Besides you're still at the hospital with Steve."

Danny's brows furrowed at the eerie impression that a gun was trained on him at this very moment. "How do you know that?" His eyes warily raked the area to detect any unusual activity.

"Never mind. Pallor, shortness of breath, dizziness…I'm sure you've received the diagnosis by now?"

Danny's breath caught in his throat. "What did you give him?" he seethed. "I swear Joe if you..."

"Don't, Danny," Joe interjected. "You're in no position to hurl threats at me. It's nothing personal. Just an insurance policy. "

"For what?"

"I want Wo Fat," he grinded out the words between clenched teeth.

"That's why you brought Steve to his mother, isn't it? To convince him to take Wo Fat out of jail so that you could kill him? With him gone, the woman is now free to come back to Hawaii with her son since the threat on her life is no longer looming. Did I hit the bullseye?"

"I never gave you enough credit for smarts, Danny boy but in a nutshell, that's it."

"I'm afraid your top recruit is out of commission thanks to you, that is if he was willing to carry out such a harebrained scheme in the first place. And I have it on good authority that he wasn't."

"That's when you come in. Steve's now my bargaining chip."

"You're crazy!"

"This is nothing compared to what my people want to do to you! I have to rein them in real tight to prevent them from going after you. Who do you think kept Steve alive all these years? I made sure to send him on the wrong track so he wouldn't get burned. Get me Wo Fat and you'll never hear from me again."

"Steve will hunt you down just like he did that bastard before you."

"I'm sure he will and with his means and skills he can even succeed in locking me up, but I'll get out one way or the other just like Wo Fat will. I want to get to him before he does."

"I beg of you, don't do this," Danny implored with every fiber of his being. "You know I don't have the leverage to do what you want."

"Try. His life depends on it."

"And if I can't? Will you let him die?"

"I don't want to, Danny, believe me, but if I don't deliver what was promised, there'll be hell to pay." A pause. "You have 72 hours before Steve's condition becomes irreversible."

"What did you give him?" Danny's heart rate went wild.

"It's definitely not something you can look up on the Web. Even if the lab team manages to identify its molecular structure and devise an antidote, it'll be too late to save him. It's a slow-acting poison that was devised for our organization, and I have the antidote."

"What guarantee do I have that if I do what you want, you'll hand me the vial?"

"You have my word." Danny broke into a nervous guffaw. "Look boy, I don't want to prolong Steve's agony, he's my son for God's sake!"

"Funny way to show your fatherly love." Rancour and sarcasm spewed out of Danny's mouth.

"I'm doing this for him, so that Wo Fat won't be a menace to him anymore. Steve had a golden opportunity to take that bastard out for good and missed it."

"For once we agree on something. But I've known criminals who had more clout dead than alive."

"Not in this case. Once Wo Fat is dead..."

"...You in turn gain more power by reining supreme on the crime ring. Sweet!" Danny affronted.

"Danny, Wo Fat is the reason why the Yakuza is a threat to ordinary citizens. We're like the mafia. We execute our own delinquents, not innocent people, that's why he's got to be stopped," Joe stressed and waited for Danny's rebuttal which never came. "Get Wo Fat out of jail and we'll take care of the rest ourselves."

"What do you expect me to do? Waltz up to the governor, casually ask him to let the rat out of its cage so you can waste him?" Danny spewed out.

"You're Five-0. You can convince him, kiddo."

"McGarrett perhaps, not me!" Danny argued. "I need a damn good reason and I seriously doubt Interpol will grant any request."

"You have 72 hours, Danny. I'll call you tomorrow night around seven." he said with a light tremor in his voice, before hanging up abruptly.

Danny shut off his cell and in a fit of rage, banged his fists on the hood of his Camaro. He held a trembling hand to his face and gnarled, "Get a hold to yourself Danny and think. THINK!"

"What am I doing?" Joe chided himself, knowing full well that Danny didn't carry enough weight to meet his ultimatum. "Oh Steve, son...why couldn't you have just dropped that Shelburne affair? Why didn't you execute Wo Fat when you had the chance? It wouldn't have come to this." He reached down in his shirt pocket and pulled out a small flask containing the antidote. Remorse brimmed over, prompting an errant tear to trickle down the corner of his eye. He stared at it intently before clenching a fist around it and closing his eyes in despair.


	8. Chapter 8

Once most of the grief was out of his system, Danny wiped his tears dry, ran his hands through his hair to smooth them out, drew in a few deep purging breaths to perk himself up before heading back to the hospital to tell the doctor who in turn, relayed the crucial information to the lab team. He then stepped outside once again to call his lawyer. No news was good news, he thought. How he hated putting Rachel through this hell but he'd be damned if he was going to lose his precious little monkey.

Nearing the end of his emotional tether, he flumped down in a hallway chair facing Steve's room and buried his face in his hands to shake the remaining woes off his shoulders. He struggled with having to tell his partner about Joe using his life as coercion to do his bidding. The man had tasked him with an impossible mission and would get an earful from Steve if he so much contemplated devising a scheme to get Wo Fat out of jail before the countdown was over.

Deep cleansing breaths later, he hauled himself up and crossed the hall to Steve's room. He flinched at the beeping sound of the heart monitor that greeted him. He edged up to the bed and glanced up at the IV line inserted in Steve's arm before gently laying his hand on his partner's shoulder.

Steve's eyes fluttered open at the touch. "Danny?" he whispered, blinking heavily.

Danny leaned closer. "Hey, I'm back."

Steve's eyes darted around the room and became slightly alarmed at the apparatuses around him. "What's all this? What's going on?"

"Shuuuuuuuu, it's okay. I'll explain." Danny grabbed a hold of Steve's arm to keep him still. "The test results are back."

"Bad?" Steve heaved out, awaiting Danny's answer with bated breath.

"They found something in your blood. It's attacking your red cells. That's why you feel so weak."

"What is it?" Steve's eyebrows creased inquisitively.

"They... they don't know …yet," Danny equivocated, averting Steve's gaze.

"You're squinting," Steve implied on an accusatory tone, twisting his arm out of Danny's grip.

"What?"

"You're squinting, which means you're lying. You're not being straightforward with me. Danny, what is it?"

"It's true, they don't know what it is exactly, but..." Danny's voice faltered at the thought of his conversation with Joe. Again he looked away, pursing his lips.

"Danny please," Steve begged with laboured breaths, sensing something horribly wrong. He reached for Danny's arm and clasped it to keep his wavering partner anchored.

Danny squirmed uncomfortably in an attempt to keep his wits. "Joe called me."

"Where is he?"

"Didn't say but my hunch tells me he's back in Hawaii."

"What did he want?"

"Guess?"

"Well he's out of luck. Wo Fat stays right where he is," Steve stated staunchly through a long-drawn exhale. He then noticed a slight wince on Danny's face. "What? Danny, you're not thinking...no, I forbid you! No!"

"Steven, that thing that's making you so sick is a poison eating your blood."

"Poison?"

Danny's hand instantly went to Steve's shoulder to calm him down. "Joe's the one who injected it to you. Remember the fight?" Steve's hand instinctively went to his stomach. Danny nodded. "Anyhow the lab is trying to isolate it and determine what it is but that could take time that you don't have. Meanwhile Joe has the antidote and says he'll give it to me if I bring Wo Fat to him."

"No Danny, no! You know you can't pull it off! Man, think of Grace," Steve implored, his breathing becoming more ragged.

"Steve I'm not gonna sit here and watch you die!" Steve tried to sit and began coughing. "Hey easy there, breathe slowly." Danny soothed, glancing at the heart monitor that went wild. He waited until the heart rate and breathing stabilized before removing his hands from Steve's chest and shoulder. Danny swore this episode added another hue of white to Steve's pallor.

Steve gripped Danny's hand, holding it with all the might he had left. "Listen to me," he swallowed hard, gasping in a breath. "I...I took this job at Five-0 to...to investigate my father's murder and... and find out... whoooo...who Shelburne was," he licked his dry lips and continued, " Now thaatttt, now that I know the truth and...and that Wo Fat's behind...behind bars, my job is done," his slurred speech punctuated by ragged breaths.

"Hey wait a minute! You sound like you're giving up! What about your job of keeping the islands safe, babe? Five-0 may have been a springboard for solving your father's murder, but it doesn't end there."

"Danny, please I beg of you...I'm not worth it but Grace is. You do this and..." Steve's voice trailed off as he neared complete exhaustion. He swallowed convulsively as he toiled to keep awake.

"You're not...you're NOT WORTH IT? Dammit McGarrett after all these years you'd think you know how I feel? You're like my brother!" Danny was livid. "Now you listen to me good and drill this into your thick skull," Danny punctuated by jabbing his finger into Steve's forehead, "The poison is killing you. You have less than three days, before this thing wins the war. Do you understand me? This is not something you can walk away from unless you're given the antidote!" Danny jumped down Steve's throat, leaning closer to his face to ensure his words sunk in. "And yes, you are worth it to me, sunshine! I don't care what you want, I can't let that happen. Not on my watch, babe."

"You...yoooooooou can't..br...break him...him out. Sui...suicide."

"Don't worry. I think I might have a plan. Might be risky but it's worth the shot. I need to get that antidote and Joe is the only one who has it."

Steve's head tossed back and forth. "Won't...won't..."

"Won't give it to me? Then I'll pry it out of his grasp with my own teeth if I have to," Danny seethed.

"Dan...Dannnnnnnnny, don't," Steve whimpered, his breathing laboured. As he tried to sit, his heart's rate instantly went through the roof. Danny panicked and rushed out the door to alert the medical personnel. He returned to the room to find Steve writhing in bed, coughing and struggling to breathe.

Doctor Kalua dashed in with two nurses and noted the alarm. "He's going into cardiac arrest. Get the crash cart in here, STAT!" he shouted to a nurse who ran back out. He lowered the bed to a recline position and started CPR.

Danny stood in a corner of the room, watching with numb horror the scene unfolding before him, a debilitating sense of helplessness washing over him. He hugged his shuddering body, trying to keep his breathing under control as the doctor shocked Steve three times before getting a rhythm back on the monitor.

"What happened?"

"It's my fault," Danny repented. "I got him riled up."

"His condition is deteriorating faster than I expected," the doctor assessed. He then addressed the nurse, "I need another CBC and get me the results in priority. I don't want the lab to dawdle. And get me a nasal canula to help with his breathing. I hope we won't have to intubate him."

"Right away doctor." The nurse headed back outside to fetch her blood sample kit while the second nurse wheeled the crash cart to a corner of the room for further use.

"Detective, we can't wait any longer. He'll need that blood transfusion. Do I have your consent?"

"Yes, yes of course. Anything to keep him alive," Danny replied dazedly, as if in a dream.

"I'll be back with the forms. In the meantime, talk to him. Will him to hang on," the doctor encouraged Danny as he placed an oxygen mask over Steve's nose and mouth. When he failed to get a response, he turned back to Danny who stood catatonically, his body shivering. "Hey? You with me?"

Danny looked up at Kalua with a blank expression. "What? Yeah...yeah I'm okay," he stuttered, still reeling from the shock of nearly provoking his friend's death. He inched up to the bed, cringing at the ghostly pallor staring back at him. He took Steve's limp hand in his. "Hey babe, you heard the good doctor. You need to hang on. Can't let this beat you. I'll get that antidote one way or the other."

No sooner had Danny signed the consent forms that a blood bag was installed on an IV pole and within minutes, the liquid of life flew freely through Steve's veins, hoping it would buy some time before the antidote could be administered.

H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H 50H50H50

Dr. Kalua ordered CBCs every half an hour and although Steve's condition remained critical but fairly stable, a battle was still raging inside his body. His fever hovered at a103.7, covering his face with a sheen of sweat that Danny took care of sponging with a cool wet cloth throughout the night.

It was late at night when Chin entered the room. "How is he?"

"His fever rose another degree in the last hour. It's a 104.7 and he hasn't seen the worse yet." Danny said forlornly as he wrung a hand towel of his excess water in the basin and applied it onto Steve's forehead. "They got him on some medication but it's obviously not working."

"Have they identified the poison yet?"

Danny shook his head dismally. "No."

"I'm sure it won't be long." Chin failed miserably at his feeble attempt to uplift Danny's drooping spirits.

"He doesn't have that long."

"He's a fighter, Danny."

"I know but he may have met his match and that scares the hell out of me." Quickly he veered off subject. "How are the girls doing?"

"They're sleeping. That's what you should be doing," Chin suggested at the sight of Danny yawning his head off.

"I will once I know he's going to pull through."

"Let me take over for a while. There's a comfy sofa over there. I promise I'll wake you if his condition changes."

"No, I'm okay," Danny assured, though not convincingly.

"I don't mind staying with him."

"Thanks. You go be with your wife."

"All right. If you need me, I'll be with Malia."

Danny nodded with an absent-minded smile. "Thanks, and Chin...we will need to discuss setting that plan into motion tomorrow morning. We can't wait any longer."

"Okay. I'll contact Duke. He's already on board with us."

"It's his only chance," Danny said gloomily while looking at his dying partner.

"We're all pulling for him." Chin laid a compassionate hand on Danny's shoulder before leaving the room quietly.

Danny glanced up at the monitor for some sign that Steve's condition was improving, but instead, the core temperature was now at 104.8.

Danny dunked another towel into the basin. The water now a bit lukewarm for his taste, he grabbed the bowl and stood. As he turned to head to the toilet, he recoiled at the figure standing before him.


	9. Chapter 9

"What are you doing here?" he spat.

"Relax, Danny" Joe mollified with a placating hand.

"Haven't you done enough damage for one lifetime?"

Joe brushed aside Danny's scorn and stole a peek at Steve over his shoulder. "How is he?"

"As if you didn't know?"

"Here." Joe handed Danny a small flask.

"Is that...?" Danny asked, eyeing the flask warily.

"The antidote. Tell them two CCs. You should see some improvement within the hour."

Danny placed the basis on the table and took the vial. "Why did you do it?"

Joe slowly walked up to the bed with Danny keeping a wary eye on him. "When you blew my cover back there, I panicked. Everything was crashing down. It was my last-ditch attempt at getting what I wanted. But I realized...it's not worth this," he confessed as he cast a dismal look at Steve with a hand on his forehead. "Despite what you may think, I care a great deal about him. I promised John I'd look after his boy. All these years I went out of my way to ensure his safety and... I wound up being the one to hurt him."

"For the life of me I cannot condone the hell you put him through. So if it's forgiveness you want..."

"I didn't come here to make amends, Danny. We both know we're beyond that."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I'll dig a hole and bury myself in it until the shelling outside dies down. I doubt you'll ever hear from me again."

"As long as you stay at the helm of the Yakuza, Steve will leave no stone unturned to find you."

"For his sake and yours, it's better if he doesn't; otherwise you might get caught in the crossfire and I might not be there to help you dodge the bullets. Steve knows the truth now, no need to pursue this thing any further. I'm just sorry it happened this way. This is not the outcome I was aiming for. I sure didn't want to rob him of his time with his mom."

"Are you really his father?"

Joe pulled out another tiny vial out of his shirt pocket and handed it over to Danny. "Here. This will prove it."

"What about Wo Fat?"

"We'll get him one way or the other, but I just can't involve you. You suffered plenty."

"Is there anyone besides Steve and me who knows about you?"

"Just a handful of associates and they're the ones you should be on the lookout for, but I'll do my best to keep them at bay." He stepped up to Danny and put a hand on his shoulder. "You stick close to him and watch each other's backs. With what you know, I can't guarantee you'll be safe. That's why you need to convince your hard-headed partner here not to run amok and stir up the mud."

"Easier said than done."

Joe started for the door when Danny called out to him.

"Hey Joe," he waited for the man to turn to him. "Thanks," he quavered. Despite his hatred of the man, he was grateful for this sudden change of heart.

"So long, kiddo."

Joe had barely stepped out of the room that Danny went in search of Dr. Kalua to give him the flask with instructions.

H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H 50H50H50

Morning came. Danny was sleeping with his forehead against his arm, his hand holding Steve's.

Steve slowly pried open his eyes and blinked repeatedly to clear the haze while scanning the room to establish the surroundings. His sight came to rest upon Danny's head propped up against his arm on the bed. A lopsided grin appeared. "Danny," he murmured, licking his dry lips and swallowing hard down his parched throat before cranking up the volume and squeezing his partner's hand, "Hey! Are you planning to sleep all day?"

A head shot up. "What?" Danny yelped before setting sight on two hazel eyes staring at him. "Hey, you awake!" he enthused, wiping the remnant of sleep off with his hand. "How do you feel?"

"Better, much better."

At that moment, Chin entered with a cup of coffee in hand. "Hey Chin! Look who's awake?"

Chin broke into a wide beam. "Steve, welcome back!"

"Thanks."

"Can you fetch the doctor and tell him sweetums' awake?"

"Sure thing. Be right back." Chin left the room.

"Sweetums?" Steve asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"A new pet name for you. The attending nurse took a shining to you and began calling you sweetums. I thought it was cute." Danny smirked. "Want some water?"

"Yeah please."

Danny poured a small amount of water into a glass and adjusted the bed into a sitting position. "Are you comfy?

"Yeah."

"There you go." He handed the glass to Steve who grabbed it with one shaky hand. "I got it." Danny assisted his partner in taking a few sips until Steve nodded he had enough.

"Thanks," he breathed out and laid his head back on the pillow. "What happened?"

"We gave you the antidote."

"How did you get it," Steve asked with a contemptuous look.

"Joe had a pang of conscience and brought me the vial."

Steve lifted his head off the pillow to stare Danny in the eyes. "He was here?"

"Yeah, he came by and...," Danny barely had time to explain that Steve was already trying to get out of bed. "Hey, whoa, whoa, wait...what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm gonna get that son-of-a-bitch."

Danny quickly pressed both hands against Steve's shoulders to thwart his attempt at getting out of bed. "Relax there, Superman. At least wait until they remove all those tubes before you go all ninja on me."

Steve sank back into his pillow and heaved out a sigh of frustration. "We're wasting time."

"Patience. First thing's first."

"What about Wo Fat?"

"I checked. He's still neatly tucked away in his cell."

"Joe's gonna try to break him out," Steve feared as he again, tried to haul himself out of bed.

"Will you just cool it and lie still!" Danny snarled and pushed his partner down on the mattress.

"But I'm fine now," Steve bellyached.

"Now where am I heard that before?" Sarcasm dripped. "Oh yeah, just before you conked out and nearly checked out on us for good," Danny remarked snidely. He glanced up at the monitor. "Besides your temperature is still high at 101."

"Well that's nothing!"

"Cut your body some slack, pally. You were knocking at death's door barely five hours ago and would have gone through the pearly white gates hadn't been for Joe. You know I don't like the man but I'm grateful that he still had a shred of human decency and cared enough not to let you die. I'm sure his cohorts won't appreciate the fact that he saved your life."

Steve reluctantly conceded with a pout. "You're right. I'm sorry," he apologized meekly.

"What was that?" Danny teased, cupping a hand to his ear.

"I said I'M sorry," Steve peevishly raised an octave. In a sidelong glimpse, he spotted a tiny curl of the lip on his partner's face. "Were you smirking just then?"

"I don't know, was I?" Danny toiled to hide his amusement.

"Okay out with it! What has you gloating like an idiot?"

"Well I just realized that this the second time in a week that smart-aleck -know-it-all-never-wrong-super-indestructible-SEAL actually listened to me."

"Yeah, well, enjoy it while you can 'cause it won't happen often," Steve sulked. "This time the exception being that I was sick. So yes I might have let some weak moments slide by." Danny tittered. "I mean it! Wipe that stupid smug off your face!"

"Welcome back, babe." Danny grinned.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah...where's that doctor?"

H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H 50H50H50

Steve was given a clean bill of health less than forty-eight hours later. He was raring to jump back into the field, but got slapped when his doctor issued a stern warning. To enforce his instructions, Dr. Kalua released him into Danny's care pending any complication or relapse from his near-fatal episode. Steve wouldn't freely admit it to his partner but he enjoyed having him in his house. Mrs. Doubtfire, as he affectionately dubbed him, actually kept him from dwelling on the recent upheaval and going stir crazy, and went as far as shamelessly using Grace's love for the beach as an incentive to convince Danny to overlap his stay.

H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H 50H50H50

Having made remarkable progress, our two ladies obtained their discharged from the hospital.

Outside the hospital, Steve sat on a concrete ledge absent-mindedly watching passerbys as he waited for the gang to come out. Danny walked up to him.

"You okay?" he asked, taking a seat next to his dazed partner.

"Yeah, I will be. Are they coming out?"

"Yeah in a few minutes. I offered to wheel Kono out but Kamekona insisted. So here I am."

Steve stared out in the distance and with a heavy sigh, said, "I got the autopsy results."

"And," Danny asked cautiously.

Steve pursed his lips to suppress the rising emotions. "She was my mother."

Danny hung his head. "I'm sorry."

"At least now I can give her a proper burial."

"Are you going to tell Mary?"

Steve paused, then with a heavy heart, said, "I should, but how do I tell her? Guess what Mare? Found out our mom had been alive all these years but now she's dead...again. Poor kid. I don't know if I can put her through that. I'm the tough one and look what it did to me?"

"Almost forgot." Danny reached inside his shirt pocket and pulled out the vial containing Joe's blood sample.

Steve eyed the flask suspiciously. "What's this?"

"A sample of Joe's blood. That is if you want to solve that mystery. He gave it to me along with the antidote. I've kept it since that day, dithering whether I should give it to you. But since it's not my decision to make...here it is."

Steve took the flask and stared at it intently. Then he stood and walked over to a shrubbery. "No, I don't want to know," he huffed out, somewhat peeved by the very mention of that possibility. "John McGarrett's the one who raised me, loved me and cared for me. As far as I'm concerned, he was my father," he said as he pulled the rubber lid and poured the content into the soil, careful to cover every last droplet of blood with earth. He then filled the empty vial with sand and buried it deep into the soil.

Danny went to stand by his friend and gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze. "Sound decision."

"I hope so."

"By the way, I just got off the phone with Rachel. Funny thing. She said that Stan got a call from the Governor's office offering him a lucrative job. "

"Did he?"

"They won't have to move from Hawaii after all."

"Hey that's great!"

"Hum hum... you wouldn't know anything about that now would you?"

Steve shrugged and feigned innocence, "No, why would I?"

"No conversation with the governor to call on a particular favor?" Danny razzed, doing his best to coax the truth out of a certain Goodwill Ambassador.

Again Steve shrugged, breaking eye contact with Danny. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Okay then, when and if you find out who it was, could you give him a message from me?" Danny played along, knowing full well Steve was responsible for this sudden turn of event.

"Sure. What's the message?"

Out of the blue, Danny impulsively enlaced Steve in his arms and hugged him tight. "I owe him big."

"He owes you a lot more, believe me," Steve said with tears welling up in his eyes.

"Hey! What d'you say once the dust settles, you and I do something to get our minds off things for awhile?"

"That's a good idea."

"Ok, you choose."

"Well I could use some peace and quiet to purge my demons."

Danny thought for a moment. "Oh no...not there! You almost killed yourself!"

"Danny, it was an accident!" Steve defended.

"You're accident-prone, babe! How about we go to a nice ball game?" Steve shot his partner his trademark aneurysm face, prompting Danny to close his eyes in defeat, "Do we have to hike up there?"

"Of course. Wouldn't be fun if we didn't."

"Having to trudge up a steep hill in sweltering ninety degree weather is not my idea of fun," Danny griped.

"Oh and parking your lazy butt under the scorching hot sun for two hours is?" Steve retorted.

Danny pursed his lips. "You're not going to let me win this, are you?"

"Nop," Steve taunted.

Danny conceded. "Oh oh what I wouldn't do for you, babe...sorry... sweetums!"

Steve broke into a wide grin and gave Danny's shoulder a playful squeeze as he turned to the hospital main entrance to see Kamekona and Chin wheel out Kono and Malia. "There they are!"

"Ladies! Your carriages await!" Danny gallantly motioned to the two cars parked alongside the curve.

"Kamekona has invited us to a gourmet dinner this weekend," Chin informed.

"It's all on me!" Kamekona declared proudly.

"Wow! Big spender. Ah, we are going to a real restaurant, right?" Danny teased.

"Relax Jersey. I wouldn't take my fine ladies anywhere but to a five-star restaurant. The finest French cuisine in all Honolulu."

"No tofu shrimps?" Danny quipped.

"No but I can whip some for you if you like."

"Ah, no thanks."

As Danny helped her out of her wheelchair, Kono noticed a picture slipping out of his shirt pocket. "Hey careful, you're going to lose that," she warned, pointing to an old Polaroid picture.

Danny pulled out the picture from his pocket. "Thanks for telling me. I sure don't want to lose it."

"What is it?" Kono asked.

"That is a picture of our tall, dark and handsome here...with long hair."

"What?" Steve tried to snatch it out of Danny's grasp. "Give me that!"

Danny twitched it out of Steve's reach. "Ah, ah, ah!"

"Where d'you get that?"

"It was a gift from your mom. She thought I'd get a kick out of it and she was right," Danny teased.

"Let me see," Malia asked. Danny happily showed her and Kono the photo. "Ohhhhh you're so cute!" Malia cooed, making Steve blush much to Danny's delight.

"I remember that period. Your father was coming at you with scissors," Chin recalled amusedly.

"Gimme a break, I was fourteen! All boys my age were wearing long hair at the time. I wanted to fit in, you know," Steve defended.

"Yeah I know, the awkward age. Nevertheless this is a weapon and I'm keeping it."

"A weapon for what?" Steve asked, puzzled.

"For just about anything and everything disgustingly embarrassing you might plan to do to me."

"I'm hurt," Steve feigned taking umbrage. "I'm really hurt."

"Nah, you won't make me feel guilty. I'm keeping that picture."

In a bat of an eye, Steve dashed after Danny who anticipated his move and took to his own heels. Unfortunately for Danny, Steve caught up with him in three long strides and grabbed him into a chokehold. "Give me that picture!" he snarled, pretending to tighten his grasp on Danny's neck.

"No!" Danny yelped, holding his own.

"I can render you unconscious," Steve threatened playfully. "Easiest thing."

"Witnesses, babe! Witnesses!" he motioned to the foursome by the car, while keeping a tight grip on the picture with one hand and another on Steve's arm looped around his neck.

Not far away, Chin and Kono took in the amusing scene. They shook their heads in disbelief.

"Well, the kids are at it again," Chin said to Kono standing next to him.

"Yep. Everything's getting back to normal or whatever that is," Kono sighed.

THE END

**Thanks for reading.**


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